National Sugar Institute director booked over alleged felling of 600 trees on campus

An FIR has been registered against five individuals, including the Director of the National Sugar Institute (NSI), in connection with the alleged illegal felling and uprooting of hundreds of trees within the institute's campus, police officials said.

The accused have been identified as NSI Director Seema Paroha, private security commander Uday Pratap Singh Rathore, estate officer Vinay Kumar, farm manager Ashok Kumar, and M/s Tiwari Wood Merchant of Anwarganj. The case also names several unidentified persons.

The action follows a complaint lodged by Regional Forest Officer Rakesh Pandey, who alleged that extensive tree cutting was carried out near Gate No. 5 of the institute without obtaining the mandatory permissions required under forest regulations.

According to the complaint, concerns over the alleged tree felling were first raised by employee organisations. A team from the forest department reportedly visited the campus on 27 May but was unable to conduct an inspection after security personnel informed officials that access could not be granted without approval from the institute's director.

A subsequent inspection conducted on 2 June in the presence of the director allegedly revealed evidence suggesting that the tree cutting had been carried out over an extended period. Forest officials also claimed that timber removed from the site had been transported during the night.

The FIR states that 655 mature trees and 67 dwarf oleander plants were allegedly cut down. The affected species reportedly include neem, shisham, eucalyptus, gulmohar, gular, siris and bottle brush trees, among others.

During the inspection, officials identified 377 tree stumps believed to be around six months old, indicating that a substantial portion of the felling may have taken place several months earlier. Investigators also alleged that nearly 250 trees had been uprooted using heavy machinery, including JCB excavators.

In addition, forest authorities found stacks of wood within the campus that were estimated to be between eight and ten months old, raising further questions about the timeline of the alleged activity.

Confirming the registration of the FIR, Ashutosh Kumar, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kalyanpur, said the matter was being investigated.

"All facts and aspects related to the case will be examined impartially, and further legal action will be taken based on the evidence that emerges during the investigation," he said.

The controversy has also led to tighter controls at the institute, with reports suggesting that access for outsiders to the NSI campus has been restricted following the allegations.

Authorities have not yet disclosed whether any arrests have been made. The investigation is continuing.

With PTI inputs