The matter came to light in the early hours of Thursday, as per the complaint. (Representational) Six fully grown sandalwood trees were allegedly felled and stolen from the premises of the Bombay Engineer Group (BEG) and Centre of the Indian Army. Yerawada police has launched a probe into the matter after Army authorities approached them with a complaint.
The matter came to light in the early hours of Thursday, as per the complaint. Assistant Inspector Pramod Khatke, who is investigating the case, said, “Initial probe suggests that the theft took place around 4 am. We have launched a probe based on available clues.”
The Bombay Engineer Group, also known as the Bombay Sappers, is a regiment of the Corps of Engineers and is one of the oldest engineering formations of the Army. The BEG and Centre is a secured perimeter and is one of the sensitive locations in the city, a police officer said.
Investigations into similar thefts across the city in the past have indicated the involvement of organised gangs. This is not the first time that sandalwood trees have disappeared from secured perimeters in Pune.
In October last year, four sandalwood trees were felled and stolen from the quarters of Garrison Engineer (North) in Pune Camp. Four sandalwood trees were stolen from the State Reserve Police Force premises in September last year. Two sandalwood trees were stolen in a similar manner from the premises of the Armed Forces Medical Stores Depot on Dr Coyaji Road on September 27 and ten sandalwood trees were stolen from the premises of the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) Colony on Pashan Road in August last year. In June, seven sandalwood trees vanished from the heavily guarded premises of the Ammunition Factory in Khadki.
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