Illegal tree felling in Kadugodi Reserve: FIR registered against Embassy East Business Park

The Forest Department has filed an FIR against Embassy East Business Park Pvt. Ltd. for allegedly cutting and transporting 101 trees without permission in the Kadugodi reserve forest area under GBA limits.

In a serious case of alleged forest destruction, the Forest Department has registered an FIR against Embassy East Business Park Pvt. Ltd. for illegally cutting down trees in the Kadugodi reserve forest area in Bengaluru. The action was initiated by officials of the GBA Forest Department following the detection of large-scale tree felling without valid permissions.

According to officials, the incident took place within the Kadugodi reserve forest area, which falls under the GBA East Zone limits. The affected land is located in Survey Number 1 of Kadugodi village, under K.R. Puram and Bidarahalli Hobli. Authorities allege that Embassy East Business Park Pvt. Ltd. cut down as many as 101 trees in this protected forest zone without obtaining the required approvals.

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The FIR has been registered under Section 8(1) of the Karnataka Tree Preservation Act, 1976, which prohibits the cutting of trees without official permission. Forest officials have also issued a notice to the company and have begun a detailed investigation into the violations.

Officials stated that Embassy had earlier received permission from the then BBMP Forest Division in February 2020 to cut only 42 trees. However, contrary to this approval, the company is accused of cutting 101 trees, far exceeding the permitted number. In addition, the company allegedly transported the felled trees without securing permission from any competent authority, adding to the seriousness of the offence.

This is not the first instance of illegal tree cutting reported in the Kadugodi reserve forest. Forest department records show that a similar FIR was registered in 2007 for illegal tree felling in the same area. That earlier case was filed against Concorde India Private Limited. The current case marks the second FIR related to tree destruction in this reserve forest.

Forest officials confirmed that the Embassy management has claimed ownership of the land where the trees were cut. The company has also informed officials that it has orders from the Supreme Court related to the property. In response, forest authorities have issued notices and are currently verifying the authenticity of these claims as part of the ongoing investigation.

GBA forest officials have stated that further action will be taken based on the outcome of the inquiry and the verification of documents submitted by the company.