Mumbai: BMC Files Complaint After Tall Tree Chopped In Juhu; Locals Allege Inefficiency Of Police To Nab Perpetrator

Mumbai: A non-cognizable report was filed at the Juhu police station by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for chopping of a tree outside a retail outlet store. However, the residents alleged that the Juhu police is uninterested in nabbing the accused as it hasn’t initiated any inquiry even after getting hold of the CCTV footage.

On Friday, the BMC filed a police complaint against an unknown person after a tall tree was cut on Sant Gyaneshwar Marg in Juhu. According to the complaint filed by Mukesh Pawar from the garden department of the BMC’s K/West ward, a Lagerstroemia Speciosa tree, commonly called The Pride of India, standing in front of the Magic Basket store was chopped by an unknown person on July 15.

The local residents said that the tree was a wide flowery tree which used to bloom during every winter season and would provide an eye-catching scenario. However, the residents who took up the issue with the BMC, have accused the retail store owner for cutting down the tree.

They alleged that the act of cutting the tree was also recorded in a nearby CCTV footage, which the police have got hold of, but they are still acting lenient towards the perpetrator. They also alleged that the store owners have concretised the land after cutting the tree and have covered the portion with a foot mat.

Talking to The Free Press Journal, Sunil Kanojia, a social activist and environmentalist, who is a resident of the area, said, “It is very clear that cutting the tree will only benefit Magic Basket or its landowner. It was right at the entrance of Magic Basket and covered their name plate. It is not difficult to know that any one of these would have cut the tree but the police and BMC are playing a blame game keeping their eyes closed.”

The Free Press Journal contacted a senior police official of the Juhu police station who said that the police have registered the offence against unknown individuals but are investigating on the basis of the CCTV footage.