Sandalwood tree stolen from Rajasthan judge Kishan Gujjar's home

A judge in Kota was robbed of more than Rs 1 crore at the end of the year – not in cash or jewellery, but in the form of a decades-old sandalwood tree.

Kishan Gujjar, a judge in the family court, lives in a government allocated bungalow near Nehru garden. The family was away on holiday when the incident took place on the night of December 30.

Miscreants chopped off a sandalwood tree in his garden on the night of December 30 and made off with the trunk, which weighed around three tonnes. It is estimated to be worth more than Rs 1 crore. The judge reported the matter when he returned home on Wednesday.

Manoj Rana, the station house officer of Nayapura police station, said the thieves disconnected the power supply and telephone line to the bungalow. Then they used a mechanised woodcutter to chop off the tree, loaded it into a truck through the backyard of the bungalow and drove away.

Environmentalists say the act could not have been committed without conniving with the guards and caretakers of the bungalow. "The entire process of felling the tree and transporting would take three to four hours," says Brijesh Vijayvergya, an environmentalist.

There have been past cases of sandalwood tree burglary from government bungalows. However, no stern action has been taken by police, says Vijayvergya.

Special police teams have been formed to trace the culprits and old cases are being re-examined for leads.

Worth Its Weight

• In the black market, sandalwood fetches Rs 30 lakh to Rs 35 lakh per tonne
• Experts say theft would have taken 3-4 hours, with the complicity of home staff
• The tree in the judge’s garden weighed as much as 3 tonnes