Case against Gurgaon company for cutting over 1,000 trees

GURGAON POLICE have registered a case against M3M India Pvt Limited for allegedly cutting over 1,000 trees and hundreds of undersized trees on a site in Chauma village.

According to police, the land where the trees were cut has been notified as per Section 4 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1900. On September 9, 2016, M3M India applied for permission to cut 20 trees on a site it owns on the land. On January 24 this year, the company received approval from the Divisional Forest Office, Gurgaon, for “transplantation” of 20 trees.

However, police said the company has allegedly cut 1,322 trees and 921 undersized trees on the site, in violation of the law.

Police said this was done by the company and its representatives in collusion with the forest department guard, Parveen, who was posted in the area. Forester Khajan Singh, and Range Forest Officer (Area), Amardeep, who Parveen reported to, have also been accused of overlooking the violations.

“Upon investigation, it was found that the guard had asked for a payment of Rs 7 lakh... The two parties arrived at an understanding of Rs 4 lakh, of which 3.3 lakh had already been paid to him,” said Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Umesh Kumar, the PRO of Gurgaon Police.

A case has been registered at Palam Vihar police station under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender) of the IPC, and relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1900.

Officials of the company could not be reached despite repeated calls and messages.