CHENNAI, SEPTEMBER 7: In Vellore a sandalwood tree was stolen from the Circuit House yesterday by unidentified people and escaped with parts of it. The tree could have been cut in the night, according to officials. Fellers used an electric saw to cut it. A complaint has been lodged with Bagayam police. The circuit house is located close to the Collector’s bungalow and office of the Deputy Inspector General of Police’s (DIG). A forest official said, due to the VIP presence, there would have been movement of police personnel in and out of the place, but in spite of that no one was able to find out how the tree was cut. The official said, the tree was not more than 10-year-old and there would not be any heartwood formation in it. “This could have been done to embarass the officials attached to the Circuit house”. Forest department sources said they have not received any information about the felling of sandalwood tree inside the circuit house. This is not the first time a sandalwood tree is cut from the campus, where Collector’s bungalow, DIG office and the circuit house is located, a forest officer said. A sandalwood tree was cut last year, but was later found in the backyard of Collector’s bungalow. Two years ago another sandalwood tree was knocked down inside the Circuit house, he said. The officer added, as there was no heartwood formation, the sandalwood will not fetch big money. ]]>
