A day after this paper reported how a Mumbai resident was thrashed for opposing chopping of a mango tree, police added charges of cutting a tree in the FIR against the three accused
Akbar Siraj Khan finally has something to cheer about. The men who killed and uprooted the mango tree he had planted 25 years ago have been charged with the crime.
mid-day’s report
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mid-day reported on March 19 (‘Bandra man brutalised for trying to save tree he planted) about Khan’s efforts to save the tree, which he nurtured as his own child, from a builder’s goons who had come to chop it on March 5.
He was kicked around and beaten mercilessly with iron rods, and ended up in the ICU of Leelavati Hospital for ten days. Khan, a veteran production executive in the film industry, was discharged in the night yesterday.
While cops had booked three men under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt with dangerous weapons), 504 (intentional insult with intention to provoke beach of peace) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), they hadn’t added sections for cutting the tree. After this paper’s front page report, police decided to add the relevant sections.
Senior police inspector Ramchandra Dhawale of Bandra police station said, “We have added the tree cutting section under the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Preservation of Trees Act, 1975 against several people.”
Khan said, “I am thankful to mid-day for taking the initiative and carrying the article. Because of it, police added the (tree cutting) section and are finally taking action.”
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