Maharashtra: Woman assaulted for filming illegal tree trimming in Belapur

NAVI MUMBAI: A Belapur-based woman, who protested against an illegal trimming of a tree in her area and also video recorded it, was assaulted on Sunday evening.
An FIR has been lodged against one accused by the NRI coastal police station.
"On Sunday evening, I came to know that several branches of a green and healthy tamarind tree were being chopped at the behest of some residents of Kartik Regency in Belapur. I immediately went down and told the locals that they cannot do tree trimming without the requisite permission from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation. There are several birds' nests on this tree, and hence I told them not to cut the branches illegally," said Paramdeep Kaur Garewal, an activist.
``While I was video recording the illegal tree cutting from outside, one man identified as Himanshu Mishra started objecting to the filming and forcefully grabbed my hand in which I was holding my mobile phone. He wanted to snatch my phone, but I did not let it go; so he twisted my hand. I somehow managed to free my hand and ran to the police station to complain against him,'' she said.
Police have booked the accused man under section 354 of the Indian Penal code.
RTI activist Anarjit Chauhan told TOI: ``The NMMC officials have informed me that no permission was given for tree trimming in this Belapur case. Hence, I have demanded that a proper civic inquiry be conducted and action be taken against all those responsible for this under the Maharashtra Tree Preservation Act, 1975.''