BHAKTAPUR: District Forest Office Bhaktapur is preparing to lodge a case against persons involved in felling trees at a community forest without seeking permission from the authorities concerned.

"We have already prepared necessary documents to file a case at District Court, Bhaktapur," an official at the DFO said.

According to villagers, they felled trees as per the instructions of Constituent Assembly member Dr Lharkyal Lama. The locals had formed a 17-member committee on April 16 to build a monastery in the community forest. They had also performed a special pooja in the forest in the presence of Dr Lama. They cut down 61 pine trees on April 21 without seeking permission from authorities concerned to clear the forest land and construct a monastery there.

However, Dr Lama denied his involvement in the incident. "I had applied for permission seven months ago. But I dropped the plan to construct a monastery after I got no response from the authorities," he claimed. Dr Lama said the villagers were trying to ruin his image, as he had failed to construct a monastery there as promised.

Meanwhile, a member of the forest users' committee said the officials of the committee were receiving threats from persons involved in felling tress. "It seems that even the police administration is hand-in-glove with the tree-fellers. It is amazing that the culprits haven't been arrested yet," she said, adding that the culprits have strong political support.

She said the locals would launch protest if they couldn't get justice through legal process.