LUCKNOW: A sandalwood tree was stolen from the premises of the CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI), one of India’s premier research institutions under the Ministry of Science and Technology.An FIR has been registered at Hazratganj police station following the theft, which occurred inside the institute’s garden block on Rana Pratap Marg.According to the complaint lodged by Hare Ram Kushwaha, Controller of Administration at CSIR-NBRI, the incident took place on July 16, 2025, between 8:00 pm and 8:40 pm. Unidentified miscreants allegedly cut down a sandalwood tree and made off with a trunk measuring around 4.5 to 5 feet in length.The theft came to light when Nem Singh, supervisor of the previous security agency, informed security in-charge Jyoti Tandon about the missing tree. At the time of the incident, security guard Ashu Khare, deployed by Ex-Servicemen Security Services, was on duty. During a subsequent inspection, a saw and a ladder were recovered from the spot, indicating that the culprits had used them to cut the tree, but the stolen sandalwood was missing.The complainant has sought legal action under relevant provisions for theft of institutional property. Confirming the development, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Hazratganj, Vikas Jaiswal, said an FIR has been registered under BNS Section 303 (2) (theft) against unidentified persons and an investigation is underway.Notably, nearly a month ago, a similar theft of a sandalwood tree was reported from the official residence of the KGMU Vice-Chancellor in the Chowk area of Lucknow, raising concerns about a recurring pattern of sandalwood thefts in the city.
