Heartbreaking! Old Woman Cries Inconsablably As 20-Year-Old Peepal Tree She Planted Is Cut Down: Locals Say 'She Treated It Like Her Son'

A deeply emotional video from Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon district has gone viral, capturing an elderly woman in tears beside a Peepal tree she had planted and nurtured for over two decades. The heart-wrenching clip has sparked outrage across social media and ignited protests among local villagers, who see the incident as not just environmental destruction but also a blow to their faith.

A tree treated like family

According to locals from Sarragondi village, the elderly woman regarded the Peepal tree as her own child. She watered it daily, worshipped it regularly, and considered it part of her spiritual practice. When she discovered it had been cut down, she broke down at the site, crying and hugging the tree’s stump as onlookers tried to console her. Witnesses said her grief mirrored the pain of the entire village.

Who ordered the tree’s removal?

Residents allege that the tree was felled at the instruction of a local land dealer, Imran Memon, who wanted to level the government land situated opposite his recently purchased plot. He was allegedly aided by an associate, Prakash Kosare, who used a wood-cutting machine to bring the tree down.

After the act, both accused reportedly fled to Khairagarh, disposing of the cutting machine in a nearby river to erase evidence. Police later recovered a scooter linked to the crime and intensified the search operation using divers.

Police action and legal charges

A complaint filed by villager Pramod Patel led to the registration of Crime No. 464/2025 under Sections 298 (hurting religious sentiments) and 3(5) of the Indian Penal Code. Additional charges under Section 238 of the Criminal Procedure Code and the Defacement of Public Property Act were later added.

Both Imran and Prakash were arrested, produced before the court, and have been sent to judicial custody. During interrogation, Imran confessed to planning the act, admitting that he wanted the land cleared for personal use.

A village united in grief and faith

“The old woman’s pain was our pain,” said Suresh Kumar Tiwari, one of the villagers who led the protest. “She looked after that tree like her own son. Watching her cry was unbearable.”
Former sarpanch Sanjay Singh echoed the sentiment, describing the Peepal tree as “a living symbol of the village’s faith and devotion.”

In a gesture of resilience, villagers have planted a new Peepal sapling at the exact same spot. The elderly woman, still emotional but comforted by community support, was among the first to offer prayers to the new tree. Locals have pledged to protect it and ensure such an act is never repeated.