HYDERABAD, April 10: A range forest officer has accused his colleagues and higher officials of corrupt practices in a petition filed in the Hyderabad circuit bench of the Sindh High Court, challenging departmental action against him.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Nawabshah Niaz Ali Soomro submitted to the court on Thursday in response to Bhambhro’s petition that the RFO of Qazi Ahmed range Nawabshah, Zeeshan Ali Bhambhro, had been suspended after and inquiry by senior officials who found that trees were cut down in Pai game reserve after Bahambhro’s posting.

Besides, the conservator of forests Afforestation Circle reported damage to forests and held him responsible for embezzlement, the DFO said. But despite facing an inquiry the petitioner was not only reinstated in no time but also posted as RFO of Manjhand by using his political influence, he added.

He said that the petitioner was again suspended after he got himself posted as RFO of Daro and was reinstated again and posted as RFO of Pai afforestation division of Nawabshah on June 2, 2006 due to political influence.

He said that the then chief minister ordered action against forest officials on growing public complaints about tree-cutting in Pai game reserve. The chief conservator and conservator of forests afforestation circle Hyderabad raided the Pai game reserve and found that large-scale damage to the forest had started after Bhambhro was posted there. The raid followed Bambhro’s suspension.

But again, the DFO said, the RFO was reinstated and posted as lecturer in the Forest and Wildlife Training School Miani on Jan 27, 2007. The RFO was then transferred from the school and posted as district officer of forests of Jamshoro.

He said that the RFO did not appear before an enquiry officer on fixed dates and alleged that his entire service record showed that he had used political clout on several occasions, which was the main reason behind his reinstatement and transfers.

He alleged that the RFO had field the petition to restrain the enquiry officials from taking departmental action against him but the petitioner’s counsel Zahoor A. Baloch advocate disagreed with him.

The petitioner said when he had been posted as RFO of Qazi Ahmed he came to know that one Muhammad Younus Chandio, forester, was involved in corruption in collusion with Mehboob Alam Ansari, who was now provincial secretary of forests.

He said that he kept himself away from Chandio and his associates, much to the annoyance of Ansari who started issuing him threats of dire consequences and removal from service.

Mr Bhambhro said that an inquiry was ordered against him, which was to be conducted by DFO Dadu. He was denied access to relevant documents, which he needed as proofs and the respondent secretary issued him a show-cause notice before the inquiry was completed, he said.

He said that the show-cause revealed that the secretary had become too personal with him. In the meantime, he was transferred to Dadu wherefrom he was again transferred to Nawabshah after 15 months.

Feeling insecure and victimised by the respondent secretary who was chief conservator at that time, he approached the then secretary Mehmood A. Khan, who after perusing the record, ordered fresh inquiry and appointed Sibghatullah Ansari, divisional forest officer, as inquiry officer on March 21, 2007.

He informed that on Jan 9, 2008 when he attended a meeting, which was presided over by the respondent secretary he threatened him that he would not spare him even if any court of law passed an order in his favour.

He prayed the court to restrain the in-charge secretary of forests department from taking any adverse action against him except following the due course of law.