Man Arrested for Using Forged Document to Exploit Community Forest in Achham

A man has been arrested in Achham district for allegedly using a forged document to carry out illegal deforestation in a local community forest.

The accused, Chhatra Raj Timalsena, who serves as the secretary of a local forest users’ committee, is suspected of fabricating official papers in the name of the Panchulli Chaitepatal Community Forest Committee. According to Janak Padhya, Chief of the Division Forest Office in Achham, Timalsena used the forged document to obtain permission from the Forest Office to harvest and sell chotro — a tree known for its medicinal properties.

Authorities confirmed that approximately 4,000 kilograms of chotro, including stalks, leaves, and bark, were extracted from the community forest. Timalsena is currently being held at the District Police Office, and an investigation is ongoing to determine if others were involved in the creation and use of the fake documents or in the illegal sale of the forest product.

Further legal action will follow based on the findings of the investigation, officials said.