HYDERABAD: “I did not pluck any leaves or flowers. The three of us were sitting in the park when the additional chief conservator accused me of plucking a twig though I did no such thing,” says 57-year-old Vinod Tikmani. A member of the Agarwal Walking Association, Tikmani alleges he is being targeted as a pro-active member of the Agarwal Club which maintains a Ganesh temple in the park. “Someone else might have plucked flowers but I was not a party to it,” he claims.He was caught by the additional chief conservator of forests SK Kaushik and fined Rs 10,000 for allegedly breaking a neem-twig during a stroll in the KBR Park at Banjara Hills.District forest officer M Raja Ramana Reddy says, “The fine for damaging any tree in a national park under the Wildlife Protection Act can go up to Rs 25,000. Tikmani’s act will stunt the growth of the tree,” said B Sudhakar, the range officer who is handling the case, alleges Tikmani and his friends have created a fuss for having been taken to the forest department office.“I have been a member of the Morning Walkers’ club at KBR Park for 10 years and such an incident has never happened before. I will consult my lawyer for action against those who harassed and punished me,” he said.
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