Rahul has gone on leave after forest guards and anti-poaching watchmen drawn from the tribal community struck work on Monday seeking action against him. On Tuesday, the IFS official told TOI on phone that he has not committed any crime and will not tender any apology. Meanwhile, the striking employees returned to work on Tuesday after Rahul was sent on leave.

Sources told TOI that Rahul was probing a major teak tree felling scam and quarrying of sand and rocks illegally from Ullandi forest range near Topslip. Problems started after he submitted a preliminary report on the issue on June 25. The report says some 2,000 teak trees were cut from Ulandi range alone over the past four years. While some of these were used to build huts for tribals, a sizeable portion was smuggled out of the forest, said sources. For instance, records available at Sethumadai forest check post in the foothills of the ATR show that a forest department-owned truck had shipped out a full load of teak logs from Ulandi to Kottur (outside forest area) on February 28, 2011. There is no trace of that timber now.

Rahul is also said to have exposed illegal quarrying of sand and stones in the same forest range. An official in the know said the tree felling mafia had instigated the tribals by spreading canards that Rahul's probe was targeted against them.

The office of the ATR field director is learnt to have sent two reports on the thefts, one to the chief wildlife warden Rakesh Vasisht on June 28 and another to the principal chief conservator of forests Gautam Dey on July 10. No action has been taken on the reports. Gautam Dey, despite repeated calls, did not respond.