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

Oct 12, 2025 08:10 pm CST

An 85-year-old woman in Chhattisgarh collapsed in tears after discovering the peepal tree she had nurtured for over 20 years was illegally cut down. The heartbreaking incident, captured on video and shared by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, shows Deola Bai's profound grief as she mourns the tree she cared for "like her own child." Two men have been arrested in connection with the felling, which was reportedly done for land development purposes.