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Khair wood smuggling racket: Beat guard suspended for ‘negligence’

Based on Barad’s reply – which was found unsatisfactory – the DCF of Valsad suspended Barad late evening on Wednesday.

2 min readSuratDec 12, 2025 03:43 AM IST

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An officer with the Valsad forest department, on condition of anonymity, said that Chikhli forest beat guard Vipul Barad has been suspended.

After the suspension of a Range Forest Officer (Valsad), one more staffer, Vipul Barad (Beat Guard), was suspended on Wednesday for alleged negligence in his duties in connection with the ongoing probe against a Khair wood smuggling racket.

The Valsad Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF), Lokesh Bhardwaj, issued a notice to the Chikhli forest department against Vipul Barad for failing to implement the forest law. Based on Barad’s reply – which was found unsatisfactory – the DCF of Valsad suspended Barad late evening on Wednesday.

Apart from this, the in-charge Range forest officer of Chikhli Forest office, Ramesh Gavit, handed an application to the Chikhli police station in Navsari to identify the person who placed a spy camera in the suspended Forester Hetal Patel’s office. The video (recorded with a spy camera) showed Patel in conversation with people and collecting cash from them. The video has also gone viral on social media platforms.

Talking to The Indian Express, Chikhli Police inspector DS Korat said, “We have received an application from the forest department officer, and we are probing into it. We suspect someone within the staff may be involved in the incident, as no private person would dare install a spy camera in the forester’s office. The insider might have come in contact with an outsider and, under his instruction, the work of placing a spy camera may have been done. We will not leave any stone unturned and we will definitely find out the person involved in this act.”

An officer with the Valsad forest department, on condition of anonymity, said that Chikhli forest beat guard Vipul Barad has been suspended. The ACF (Assistant Conservator of Forest) Ruchi Dave carried out raids at the house of Arjun Patel in Godthal village on November 7, 2025, which led to the seizure of 332 tonnes of Khair wood bark worth over Rs. 3 crore. Barad was also equally responsible for such a seizure.

Kamal Saiyed

Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs. Expertise Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs. Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including: Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives. Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress. Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli). Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read More

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