Shopian, July 11 Locals in Shopian made an unsuccessful bid to catch the miscreants who were cutting trees on late Friday hours in an orchard.

However, before escaping from the spot, the miscreants left a motor-cycle, cutter and other equipments behind.

Police have seized the motor-cycle that is without any registration number plate and wood cutting equipments.

The incident occurred at Killora village of South Kashmir’s Shopian district that falls under the jurisdiction of police station Imam Sahab.

The orchard owner Bashir Ahmed Tantray said that they were irrigating their field on Friday late hours when they heard some sound.

“As we approached towards our orchard, there were at least four people busy in cutting trees. They were alerted after observing the flash light and escaped from the spot leaving behind a motor-cycle without any registration number, wood cutter and other equipments,” he said.

“It was painful to see five trees lying flat on the ground,” Tantray said.

When asked about the motive behind this act, Tantray said that it seems trees were being cut with a motive to use the stumps of these trees to make wooden boards and wooden mallets.

“Eid is approaching and to chop meat, people need wooden boards and mallets. This is my understanding of this act,” he said.

A police official while confirming the incident said that they have seized the motor-cycle and other things. “The culprits will be identified and booked,” he said adding the statement of the orchard owner has been recorded and investigation set into motion. (KNT)