Panchkula, July 23 -- A sessions court in Panchkula sentenced a 20-year-old Pinjore man to 18 months of simple imprisonment for illegally felling khair trees, assaulting forest officials and causing grievous injuries to a forester during an anti-smuggling operation in the Pinjore forest area. The case pertains to an incident on February 21, 2025, when a forest department patrol reached the forest area near Chapra Dam in Nanakpur block after getting information about the illegal cutting of khair trees. Three persons were allegedly found cutting the trees. When the forest team tried to stop them, they were attacked with sticks. Forest inspector Deepak Kumar suffered a fracture in his right hand, while other members sustained injuries. The accused and his accomplices fled from the spot, leaving behind 16 pieces of three illegally felled khair trees. Later, Sandeep Singh, alias Deepa, was arrested by the police. During the trial, the prosecution examined 10 witnesses, including injured forest officials, the investigating officer and the doctor. Relying on eyewitness testimony, medical evidence and the recovery of the felled trees, the court convicted Sandeep under sections 121(1) (voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from duty), 121(2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter a public servant from duty), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from duty), and 303(2) (theft), all read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The court rejected the defence's objections regarding the absence of weapon recovery and a judicial test identification parade, holding that the prosecution had proved the charges beyond reasonable doubt....