Kochi: Kodanad forest range officer R Atheesh, who led the probe into the controversial wildlife case against rapper Hirandas Murali aka Vedan, was transferred from his office on Tuesday. He has been shifted out of the Malayattoor forest division. Forest Minister A K Saseendran issued the transfer order, citing a violation of service conduct rules by the officer who revealed unconfirmed information to the media after the singer was arrested.

“Making statements before the media that the accused had links to Sri Lanka without verifying facts in the middle of the probe is not a proper way of investigation. The transfer is part of a department-level inquiry. The head of the forest department has been instructed to conduct a detailed investigation and file a final report. Further action will be based on the report," a statement from the minister's office said.

The action against Atheesh comes even as the ruling CPM and its ally CPI have come out against the forest department for the way it handled the case against Vedan. The forest department registered the case against the Thrissur-based singer on April 29, a day after the Hill Palace police held him and eight of his friends from a rented apartment in Kochi for possession of six grams of ganja. The forest department booked Vedan for wearing a pendant made of a suspected leopard tooth. He was charged under sections of the Wildlife Protection Act related to hunting and the unlawful possession of wildlife articles.

The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Perumbavoor, granted bail to Vedan, saying there was no evidence to link the singer to offences such as hunting, trading or unlawful acquisition of the leopard tooth.

While briefing the media about the arrest, Atheesh highlighted the Sri Lankan refugee identity of Vedan’s mother, apparently insinuating larger motives behind the alleged offence. Atheesh is the state president of the Kerala Forest Rangers Association, a prominent service organisation in the department.

His transfer was ordered a day after Vedan performed at the ‘Ente Keralam’ celebrations marking the fourth anniversary of the Left Democratic Front government. Though he was initially scheduled to perform at the event on April 29, the programme was cancelled following his arrest in the narcotics case on the previous day.