2 booked for felling pipal tree in Dadri without permission

Greater Noida: Police have registered a case against two persons for allegedly illegally felling a fully grown pipal tree in the Dadri area on Tuesday. The police said that the tree’s trunk had a 19-foot circumference.

The two suspects were identified as Sangeeta, 35, and Johny, 40, residents of Chakrasenpur Madhaiya village.

A case was registered at Dadri police station following a complaint by Sajid Ali, a forest guard. Ali said that he had received the information from local people that two persons were illegally cutting a 50-yearold pipal tree on the Gram Sabha land in the village. “I visited the spot and found that the two persons had cut the tree and dismembered its branches. Sangeeta is a local resident while Johny is a tenant at her house. They had also transported the woods in a truck to some places,” he said.

When the forest guard objected, the two persons started arguing with him, the police said.

Rajveer Singh Chauhan, station house officer, Dadri police station, said that a case was registered against them under sections 4 and 10 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. “The police are investigating the case. We will arrest the two persons soon,” he said.

Permission needed

PK Shrivastava, district forest officer, said that the suspects had neither got permission nor informed the department before felling the tree.

He said that for felling or removal of trees, the applicant should submit his/her land ownership to the forest department and also cite a genuine reason.

“In case of illegally felling the tree, the suspects can be fined and jailed,” Shrivastava said.