Shimla, April 18 -- In a controversial development in Himachal Pradesh's forest administration, an internal inquiry by the Forest Department has cleared its field staff and senior officials in an alleged illegal money collection case linked to eco-tourism, even as police have referred the matter to the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (SV&ACB) and recorded allegations of threats against the complainant.

The inquiry, conducted under the direction of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Kotgarh, who is himself named in the complaint, concluded that funds collected from eco-tourism activities in the Kotgarh Forest Range were "duly scrutinised and found to be in order," with no evidence of misappropriation.

According to the report...