Four persons were booked for allegedly stopping and threating a senior forest official while he was on his way to inspect a mining site in Nainital district.
According to the police, Nitishmani Tripathi, the in-charge of Bailparav range of Tarai West Forest Division in Ramnagar area, was stopped by the accused on Sunday.
On receiving reports of illegal mining near Kosi river, Tripathi along with his subordinates left for the spot, but their official vehicle was blocked midway by another vehicle allegedly by the accused.
Then officer and his colleagues then left for the spot on foot leaving their vehicle behind.
On the spot, they learnt that a tractor trolley, full of material mined illegally, had just left, according to the complaint.
Later, when they returned back to their vehicle, the accused, including Shivsingh Manral, Virendra Singh Manral, Hemant Bisht, Deewan Singh entered into a verbal duel with the officials.
They misbehaved with the officer and his subordinates and threatened them with dire consequences, police said.
The investigation is on in the matter and accused along with others have been booked under different sections of the IPC on the basis of the forest officer's complaint, they said.
