Six Forest Officials Suspended Over Illegal Tribal Cultivation in Jawadhu Hills

In a startling turn of events, six forest officials from Tamil Nadu have been put on suspension after investigators discovered they had been quietly accepting cash payments to allow tribal families to expand their farms into protected forest land.

The illegal cultivation spanned more than a thousand acres across the Jawadhu Hills, a region dotted with at least 150 tribal hamlets. Over the past three years, the officials allegedly turned a blind eye – and even facilitated – what the senior forest officer described as an “accelerated cultivation” scheme.

Names of the suspended personnel have now been made public: S. Prabhu, range officer of the Eco‑tourism range; K. Senguttuvan, range officer of Nadanoor; foresters F. Arunagiri and K. Subramani, also from Nadanoor; S. Muthu, a forest guard in the Jamunamarathoor range; and R. Suresh, a forest ranger on deputation to the Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust.

According to the probe, the officials not only ignored the law but also promised the tribal cultivators that their names would be entered into forest records as “traditional cultivators.” That, they claimed, would make the families eligible for title deeds under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Forest Rights) Act, 2006.

What’s more, the investigation suggests that the officials were pocketing a regular sum of cash – a monthly stipend – in exchange for their silence and facilitation. While exact figures haven’t been disclosed, sources say the amount was enough to raise eyebrows among senior forest department officials.

The illegal expansion of farms touched three forest ranges – Melpattu, Jamunamarathoor and Nadanoor – and is believed to involve between 600 and 700 tribal members. In total, about 1,500 tribals from the Jawadhu Hills now claim title rights for the land they have cultivated, a figure that adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing legal and administrative tussle.

Authorities say the suspension is only the first step. A formal inquiry is underway, and the department has pledged stricter monitoring of forest‑tribal interactions to prevent a repeat of such “accelerated cultivation.” Meanwhile, the affected tribal families are left in a state of uncertainty, caught between the promise of legal ownership and the looming shadow of the investigation.

As the case unfolds, it shines a stark light on the challenges of balancing tribal rights, forest conservation, and the ever‑present temptation of corruption within administrative circles.