Forest officer suspended over obscene' dance party at Dudhwa

BAREILLY: A forest officer was suspended on Wednesday for organising a controversial dance event in the Ludhori range inside Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR), which sparked public outrage when videos of the performance, deemed obscene, were circulated on social media platforms. The event, held on Monday during Krishna Janmashtami celebrations, led to protests from local residents and activists after it was revealed that individuals with records of illegal activities were allegedly invited.

Arif Jamal, the range officer, was identified as the organiser of the dance party. Videos of the event prompted complaints from local activists, who alleged that individuals with prior records of illegal tree felling were among the attendees. In response to the complaints, the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) suspended Jamal and initiated an inquiry against him by DTR field director Lalit Verma.

In his defence, Jamal claimed that his adversaries edited the videos and that he had only conducted a religious function on Monday.

On Tuesday, residents from Ludhori and nearby villages gathered at the SDM office in Nighasan town to submit a memorandum to CM Yogi Adityanath through tehsildar Bheem Chand. The protesters were outraged that the dancers performed obscene moves on a stage decorated as a temple.

One of the protesters, Ashok Kumar, said: "Jamal has abused his authority by hosting this event at the forest department's office. He has not only disrespected our religious sentiments but also invited notorious timber mafias. He should be suspended, and an FIR must be filed against him."

Verma confirmed Jamal's suspension, saying, "He was suspended by the principal chief conservator of forests with immediate effect on Wednesday. We will submit the investigation report against him to the department. We are also examining the videos to determine if any controversial individuals were invited to the party."