Kalpetta: The case registered against the forest department by the Human Rights Commission in connection with the suicide of Ambukuthi native Kuzhuvilla Harikumar has been dismissed. The case was closed after the South Wayanad Divisional Forest Officer submitted a report to the Human Rights Commission affirming that Harikumar was not mentally or physically harassed by the forest department officials. It should be noted that the deceased man (Harikumar) was the first person to spot a tiger cub hanging by a noose in a private farm in Padiparambu in Ambukuthi in days before his death in February.

However, he was not implicated in the case. The forest department officials had called him twice over phone to collect information regarding the incident. The call records were handed over to the crime branch.

A case was registered against the forest department by the Human Rights Commission on the basis of a news article claiming that Harikumar ended his life after getting distressed over repeated calls from the forest department officials seeking information regarding the incident.