Two held for felling sandalwood tree in Erode’s Bargur hills
Two men were arrested in Erode, India, for attempting to illegally fell a sandalwood tree on private farmland. Local residents caught the suspects in the act, and the Forest Department subsequently seized the timber and tools.
Why it matters
Sandalwood is a highly protected and valuable resource in India, making its illegal harvesting a significant environmental and legal issue.
Two persons were arrested by the Forest Department for allegedly felling a sandalwood tree on a farm adjoining the Onthanai forest area near Thamaraikarai in Bargur on Tuesday. The two were identified as M. Senthilkumar (35) of Thuraiyur and G. Loganathan (27) of Musiri, both in Tiruchi district.
According to the Forest Department, a sandalwood tree stood on a farm belonging to Eerannan. The two men were cutting the tree with a saw in the early hours of the day when Mr. Eerannan and locals noticed them, surrounded them and caught them.
On information, a Forest Department team, led by Forester Eswaramoorthy, reached the spot. The officials seized the five-foot-long cut sandalwood tree, weighing around 75 kg, besides the saw and a knife allegedly used by the men.
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