Court dismisses plea against 7-day jail term for cutting trees

The Mumbai Sessions Court has upheld the order of a magistrate's court, sentencing a city resident to a week in prison for cutting four trees in his residential society in 2014.

The magistrate's court in suburban Dadar had convicted Sadashiv Kamble, a former secretary of the residential society, under the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act for completely chopping a jamun, a coconut, a guava and a gulmohar tree in 2014, whereas he only had the permission to trim the trees.

"The appeal is dismissed. Judgment and order by Metropolitan Magistrate, 41st Court, Dadar, is confirmed," Additional Sessions Judge M B Datye said recently, while dismissing Kamble's appeal against the conviction.

The magistrate's order that had also slapped a fine of Rs 2,000 on Kamble did not require any interference, the judge noted.

According to the prosecution, Kamble, had reportedly told the residents of the society that he had the permission to fell the trees, whereas he was only allowed to trim the trees by the municipal authorities.

A resident had told the magistrate's court that Kamble, in August 2014, had asked the other residents of the society to remove their vehicles as he wanted to cut the branches of the trees.

Kamble had summoned labourers, who had first chopped off the branches of the trees, before cutting the trunks.

When the resident enquired with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), he found out that no such permission was granted, following which he approached the civic body against Kamble, according to the prosecution.

Another resident had told the magistrate's court that Kamble had obtained the permission to only trim the trees.

A BMC official told the court that he and other officials had visited the residential society on receiving complaints and found out that four trees were chopped, after which a police complaint was filed.