Police complaint lodged on missing tree on road - Chennai report

The Indian Emperor Ashoka of Maurya Dynasty is credited to have encouraged the development of herbal medicine and planting of trees alongside roads. The history book would read, Ashoka planted trees and dug wells along roads for the benefit of travelling public.

Day and day out, we read about property losses arising out of thefts and burglaries. The affected parties visit the nearest Police Station to lodge their complaint in pursuit of having them traced by the Law Enforcing authorities. The Police Force complains that they are outnumbered very badly almost 1:609 going by the 2001 consensus. Last year Chennai Police received close to 23000 property crimes of which theft were close to 16000.

Topping the list would be gold ornaments, jewels, followed by vehicles, electronic items and more. Besides there are complaints for items lost in public transport buses and trains which are in the nature of loss of personal belonging, cell phones, laptops etc., In European countries, they generally are Coats, books, bags, clothing, mobile phones, tennis racquets, paintings, bicycles, crutches and even rocking chairs. Sometimes there are strange and funny items that are claimed lost which have included - stuffed puffer fish, pet animals, exotic animals, false teeth, human skulls, breast implants, lawnmower. In England & Wales there are also complaints of ‘neglect of duty’, being slow or ineffective, Police officers being rude to public etc.,
In a rib tickling comedy vaigai puyal Vadivelu would go to a Police station seeking to lodge a complaint of theft of a well. Yes the agricultural well. He would state that he took a bank loan for digging a well and planned to provide drinking water to the residents of nearby villages and provide water for irrigation. In his defence, he would state that for loan, the bank officials had visited, made a report and then approved loan. On the Govt. side, he would claim that Govt officials had issued receipt approving the well – all this done by taking bribes and without physically inspecting the site / property at all - thus he would say he has the receipt and would go to the Collector or to Court for filing a suit, if the FIR for missing well was not registered. The stunned Police Inspector would resign his job and run away in the comedy.

In what appears to be a scene straight away from the comedy track, a strange complaint of loss of a tree from VM Balakrishnan Salai has been lodged at MGR Nagar PS in Chennai. The odhyan tree (Indian ash tree) about 25 ft tall under the care of City Corporation is the object claimed to be missing. For removal of a tree, if considered to be hindrance to public / traffic, permission has to be obtained from Corporation officials. No one is allowed to chop down trees on the road side on their own and such act is punishable under law. The Police authorities reportedly have recorded the complaint and have promised severe action against those who erred.

                                                                [photo : Times of India]
Whether any action is initiated or not, whether the culprits are apprehended or not, this complaint certainly has made waves and has made people read the news with interest. The crime against green cover is certainly not a laughing matter though….

- Sampathkumar S