In a dubious first, a police vehicle has been found to be used in smuggling and a station house officer (sho) nabbed for his role in the incident.

The forest development committee members at Samnoh village of Gohar subdivision in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district impounded a police truck carrying 50 deodar sleepers. The villagers stopped the truck and informed conservator of forests D C Khanduri. Consequently, the sho, Gohar, and three police personnel were arrested and placed under suspension.

Director general of police A K Puri said that the matter would be investigated by the crime branch of the criminal investigation department (cid). A departmental enquiry has been ordered into the incident. The probe will go into all the circumstances under which the truck of the police department was taken out from Mandi to the spot of the crime.

A case has been registered under Sections 41 and 42 of the Indian Forest Act after the district forest officer, Gohar, lodged an fir (first information report). The vehicles used in the act have been confiscated.