Four arrested for allegedly cutting down 'Bodhichitta' tree in Kavre

Police have arrested four persons for allegedly cutting down a tree of precious Bodhichitta (Buddhachitta) at Roshi Rural Municipality-5, Nagbeli in Kavrepalanchowk district.

The arrestees have been identified as Prabhat Tamang, Shyam Krishna Mainali, Man Bahadur Tamang and Durga Lal Tamang, spokesperson at the District Police Office, Dhulikhel, DSP Raj Kumar Shrestha informed.

The group had cut down a tree of Bodhichitta in the Nagbeli-based garden of Thakurani Tamang on Thursday night with explosives.

Tamang said this year the Bodhichitta grain grown on the particular tree was to be sold at Rs 30 million this year. She had already received an advance for this.

According to her, a group of around 20 people armed with weapons cut the Bodhichitta tree at around 1 am on Thursday.

Mainali and Durga Lal were arrested from Banepa of Kavrepalanchowk on Sunday, while Prabhat was arrested from Banasthali of Kathmandu on Saturday and Man Bahadur was arrested on the same day the tree was cut down, said DSP Shrestha.

According to the police, four socket bombs were planted on the door and courtyard of the house after the tree of Tamang was cut down.

Dhulikhel-based Kalijung Battalion of the Nepal Army had defused the bomb. A search is on for others involved in the incident, police said.

Meanwhile, victim Thakurani lodged a complaint at the District Police Office on Sunday against eight persons, including four arrested. The fruit grown on the tree was looted four years ago. Police suspected that the group that cut trees may have looted the fruit at that time.

The Bodhichita-made garland has special religious and cultural importance in the Tamang community and Tibetan and Chinese society.