Rabale police booked a builder, including his two sons and the owner of a plot, for allegedly hacking full-grown trees without the civic body’s permission. The case was registered after they failed to respond to a show-cause notice issued by the local ward office.
The complainant, Sanjay Tayade, who is assistant commissioner and Tree officer of Ghansoli ward of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), received a complaint regarding the hacking of 8 full grown trees near Ratnadeep Park, Gothivali, Navi Mumbai, on August 28, 2023. As per the complainant, all the trees including coconut and mangoes, were more than 10 years old full grown trees.
The Ghansoli ward issued a show cause notice to the landowner, identified as Ratan Rama Mhatre, instructing him to provide a response within seven days regarding the unauthorized removal of fully grown trees. The notice was received by Alka Mhatre, the wife of Ratan Mhatre.
However, the landowner failed to submit the reply of the notice within the prescribed deadline. Following which, the civic body called Mhatre to the ward office and asked regarding the unauthorized removal of fully grown trees. Mahtre informed the ward office that they had planned a housing project on the land with the builder, identified as Kalyan Ji, a resident of Ghansoli, his son Janak Kalyanji, and his manager Sunny Singh.