Over 600 Trees Illegally Cut Down At Government Institute In UP, Case Filed

An FIR has been registered against five persons, including the Director of the National Sugar Institute (NSI), for the alleged illegal felling and uprooting of over 600 trees within the institute campus, police said on Thursday.

According to police, those named in the FIR are NSI Director Seema Paroha, private security commander Uday Pratap Singh Rathore, estate officer Vinay Kumar, farm manager Ashok Kumar, and M/s Tiwari Wood Merchant of Anwarganj, besides some unidentified persons.

The case was registered on a complaint filed by Regional Forest Officer Rakesh Pandey, who alleged that large-scale tree felling was carried out without mandatory permission near Gate No. 5 of the institute campus.

The FIR stated that the alleged illegal cutting came to light after complaints were raised by employee organisations. A forest department team that visited the campus on May 27 reportedly returned without inspecting after security personnel informed them that entry could not be granted without the director's approval.

Forest officials later inspected the site on June 2 in the presence of the director and allegedly found evidence indicating that the trees had been cut over several months and that the timber was removed during the night.

According to the FIR, 655 full-grown trees and 67 dwarf oleander plants were felled. The species allegedly cut included neem, shisham, eucalyptus, gulmohar, gular, siris and bottle brush trees, among others.

During the inspection, officials found 377 stumps that were believed to be around six months old.

Stumps are the bottom portions of trees which remain attached to the ground after a tree has been felled or cut.

The officials also noted that nearly 250 trees were allegedly uprooted using JCB machines. Additionally, some wood stored on the campus was estimated to be eight to ten months old.

Ashutosh Kumar, Kalyanpur assistant commissioner of police, confirmed the registration of the FIR and said the matter was under investigation.

"All facts and aspects related to the case will be examined impartially, and further legal action will be taken based on the evidence that emerges during the investigation," he said.

Following the controversy, the entry of outsiders into the NSI campus has reportedly been restricted. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)