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Sandalwood Theft Spree Hits Officials' Backyards in Shivamogga
2 Nov
Summary
- Two sandalwood trees chopped and stolen in Shivamogga in a month
- Thefts occurred near residences of Shivamogga DC and chief conservator of forests
- Police registered only one case despite proximity to Jayanagar police station
On 2025-11-02T18:14:06+00:00, a concerning trend of sandalwood tree thefts has emerged in Shivamogga, a city in Karnataka. Over the past month, two sandalwood trees were chopped down and stolen, with the incidents taking place in the vicinity of the residences of the Shivamogga District Commissioner (DC) and the Chief Conservator of Forests.
The most recent theft occurred on the morning of 2025-10-29, when a tree on the premises of Lokesh, a driver at the Zilla Panchayat, was found axed. This incident came to light when Lokesh stepped out of his house. Despite the proximity of the Jayanagar police station, the authorities have only registered one case so far, raising questions about the effectiveness of the law enforcement response.
Activist Chirag from Rainland Trust has accused the forest officials of neglecting minor cases and suggested that they should collaborate with the police to apprehend the culprits. He warned that if the concerned departments do not take immediate action, the criminals may target larger and more valuable trees in the town.
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The officials' quarters, located behind the DC and CEO of Zilla Panchayat's houses, have been the site of several sandalwood tree thefts over the past few days. Fifteen days ago, on 2025-10-18, another sandalwood tree was chopped down in the same area. The Range Forest Officer, Vijay Kumar, has promised to thoroughly investigate the matter and has directed the beat officers to inspect the location.
