In a first, BMC men save Malad trees from hackers at night

In a rare case, civic officials from the P-North ward (which includes Malad) swung into action on Thursday after receiving a tip-off that some men were going to hack trees in the area in the middle of the night. The officials not only saved the trees from being felled, but also caught the four culprits red-handed.

“Four persons were trying to cut down Karanj trees in front of a redevelopment site of Francis Cooperative Housing Society, on 1st Domnic Lane, Orlem in Malad (West). Officials of the gardens department and the environment department caught them while they were attempting to hack a tree,” said a horticulture officer from P-North ward.

Devendra Jain, assistant commissioner of the ward, said that the perpetrators have been handed over to the Malad police. “It was learnt later that all four were hired by the developer to cut the trees. While inquiry is on at the police level, we received information from the trees authority that the permission to cut the said trees was not sought,” said Jain.

Jain added, “We received the information that the trees were going to be cut. We posted our officers at the spot, disguised, and succeeded in catching the culprits.”

The Malad police have registered an offence against all four persons and have initiated the inquiry into the matter.