Sandalwood Tree Worth Lakhs Stolen from KGMU VC’s Residence in Lucknow | UP Crime

Sandalwood Tree Worth Lakhs Stolen from KGMU: A sandalwood tree was cut and stolen from the Vice Chancellor’s residence located within the campus of King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow. After the incident, Chief Proctor Kshitij Srivastava lodged a complaint at Chowk Kotwali police station.

KGMU spokesperson KK Singh said the 50-year-old tree was cut and taken away by thieves. The residence is currently vacant.

According to police, the theft took place in VC’s private lawn, and the tree went missing on June 24. A FIR was filed on June 26 against unknown persons.

Inspector Nagesh Upadhyay confirmed that a case has been registered and CCTV footage of the premises is being checked to identify the culprits.

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Speaking to the Media, KK Singh said, "The Vice-Chancellor's residence is inside our campus, but he currently lives in his private house in Nirala Nagar. So, the campus house is vacant, though guards and basic staff stay there. A few days ago, we found out that a very old sandalwood tree at the residence was cut down, and the wood was stolen. It's shocking because the building is considered secure and has guards. We have collected CCTV footage and handed it over to the police. The tree was about 50 years old and worth lakhs. We've also informed the Forest Department, as sandalwood trees are protected under the Forest Act. We were told that this type of wood cannot be sold legally, and its value is set by the government."

Meanwhile, in another incident, one person who was accused of a ₹1.5 crore robbery was injured in an encounter with police in Ghaziabad’s Kavi Nagar, said Ghaziabad ACP Bhaskar Verma.

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The incident was reported from the intervening night of June 29 and 30, when, during a check at the Diamond Tiraha, the police monitored a four-wheeler approaching suspiciously towards them.

While the police were trying to stop the car, it collided with a tree. The accused tried to flee from the incident spot and started firing at the police officials. However, in self-defence firing from the police officials, the accused got injured.

Inspector Vinod Kumar Tiwari from Jankipuram police station said a FIR has been registered and a search is on to trace the accused.

In the third incident, thieves targeted a temple in Vrindavan Colony and stole the donation box. Police are investigating all three cases and checking nearby surveillance footage to track the thieves. The series of incidents has raised concerns over increasing thefts in the city, even in high-security zones.

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