85-Year-Old Woman Devastated After 20-Year-Old Sacred Peepal Tree Illegally Cut Down in Chhattisgarh

In Chhattisgarh's Khairagarh district, an 85-year-old woman was left devastated after discovering that a peepal tree she had nurtured for over two decades was illegally felled. Deola Bai, who had planted the sapling in her courtyard approximately 20 years ago, had cared for it devotedly, treating it "like her own child" according to locals.

The elderly woman's heartbreak was evident as she collapsed beside the cut trunk, weeping uncontrollably. Reports indicate that the tree was cut down purely for profit motives.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju shared a deeply moving video on social media platform X showing the distraught woman resting her head against what remained of the tree. "This is such a heart-wrenching scene. An elderly woman weeps bitterly after Peepal tree she planted 20 years ago is cut down. I'm told this occurred in the State of Chhattisgarh," Rijiju wrote alongside the hashtag #EkPedMaaKeNaam.

According to a complaint filed by a village resident, Imran Memon from Khairagarh and an accomplice attempted to cut the tree on October 5, but were initially stopped by vigilant villagers. However, by the following morning, the beloved tree had been reduced to nothing more than a stump.

Authorities registered a case at Khairagarh police station under Section 298 (deliberate intent to wound religious feelings) and Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai police subsequently arrested two men in connection with the incident.

During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed that their intention was to level government land situated in front of a plot recently acquired by Memon. He reportedly enlisted Prakash Kosre from Lalpur to fell the tree using a cutting machine while Memon stood watch.

Following the illegal act, the two reportedly fled to Khairagarh and disposed of the cutting equipment by throwing it into a nearby river. Divers have been deployed in efforts to recover this evidence.

The incident has highlighted the deep emotional connections people form with trees they nurture, especially in Indian culture where certain trees like the peepal hold spiritual significance.