Gang targeting road side trees at Anjangaon arrested

Nagpur: The Amravati police have nabbed a four-member gang of thieves targeting road side trees belonging to the Public Works Department (PWD) and seized material worth Rs3.5 lakh.
Acting on a tip-off from some morning walkers, the gang was caught red-handed by a team led by police inspector Manoj Chaudhary of Pathrot police station while transporting the felled trees between Paratwada and Anjangaon (Surji) road early on Sunday morning.
Chaudhary said some morning walkers between Tavlar-Khajma Nagar on Anjangaon (Surji) main road suspected foul play in felling trees and called the police. “We reached the spot and seized a mini truck loaded with neem and subabul trees. Four persons were arrested and produced before Achalpur judicial magistrate first class (JMFC).”
The police sought one day’s police custody remand (PCR) but the court sent them to 14 days’ magisterial custody (MCR). “We have slapped IPC sections 379 and 34 against the accused and will file a charge sheet soon,” Chaudhary said.
PWD superintending engineer Arundhati Sharma, Amravati, said, “The department was unnecessarily depicted in bad light for illegal felling of these trees. While widening the road, we properly evaluate trees and fell them with prior permission and make provision for compensatory plantations.”
“In the recent past, we found that many trees on roads proposed for widening were targeted. Our executive engineer Chandrakant Mehtre had apprised the police about an unidentified gang targeting trees. This gang was also involved in collecting wind-fallen trees,” Sharma added.
Those arrested include Sayyed Shabir Sayyed Asad (32), Mohsinshah Harunshah (32), Sheikh Salman Sheikh Israel (28) and Mohsin Patel Yunus Patel (33), all residents of Anjangaon (Surji).
PWD officials said there are huge trees on Anjangaon-Achalpur-Amravati Road and the role of this gang in stealing these trees cannot be ruled out. Police said the modus operandi of the gang was to chop trees during the night when traffic was zero and transport the timber in the wee hours before rush hours.
Green activist Jai Deshmukh said these gangs are involved in supplying the felled timber to sawmills in Paratwada, Achalpur, and Amravati area. The forest department also needs to cross-check the stock with sawmills whether the timber being transported is legal or illegal.
“The huge neem trees on Amravati-Achalpur road are also being targeted. The Nagpur bench of Bombay high court has already taken suo motu cognisance of proposed felling of over 3,600 trees for road widening,” said Deshmukh.