Sandalwood tree stolen from Odisha Raj Bhavan premises

A sandalwood tree standing in the high security Raj Bhavan premises here was allegedly chopped down and stolen, police said on Thursday.

The tree was cut on Tuesday and Raj Bhavan has lodged a written complaint at the Capital police station here.

Police are verifying CCTV footages by there is no trace of the thieves so far, the police said.

Some suspects are under the scanner and the real culprit will be nabbed soon, the police added.

Permission is required from the forest department at the time of harvest and transport of sandal wood, which is primarily used for extraction of sandal oil.

India has imposed an export ban on sandalwood and instated conservation measures to protect the species in the country.