World · India Bureau
Maharashtra police arrest six over illegal felling of 55 trees for billboard access
Authorities in Nashik have arrested six people, including an advertising agency director, for illegally cutting down 55 trees overnight to clear sightlines for street-level billboards. Police allege the trees were felled for a payment of just 10,000 rupees.
LSN India ·
Police in Nashik, Maharashtra, have arrested six individuals in connection with the overnight felling of 55 trees along Gangapur Road, with investigations revealing the trees were cut to improve visibility of advertising hoardings mounted on street lights.
According to police statements, an advertising agency director and five others were paid approximately 10,000 rupees to remove trees obstructing advertisement billboards. The unauthorized tree-cutting incident came to light when residents reported the mass felling to local authorities.
The arrested individuals, including the advertising agency's director, were taken into custody for violating environmental protection laws and regulations governing urban tree preservation. The case has raised concerns about the coordination between advertising firms and contractors in circumventing environmental safeguards.
A local court remanded all six accused to five days of police custody for further investigation. Authorities are examining whether other such incidents have occurred in the region and whether permissions were sought from municipal authorities before the tree-cutting operation was undertaken.