Mysuru: Miscreants have chopped off a sandalwood tree at Kukkarahalli Lake premises and have decamped with a portion of the trunk.

The theft came to light this morning, when the morning walkers noticed the tree chopped and informed Jayalakshmipuram Police and the Forest Department.

The Police and the Forest staff, who rushed to the spot, conducted an inspection and found that the miscreants had  carried away a portion of the trunk of the sandalwood tree which is used to manufacture sandalwood oil.

Meanwhile, morning walkers at the Lake said that there were hundreds of sandalwood trees in Kukkarahalli Lake premises and added that there was no compound constructed around the lake which is giving easy access to the miscreants, who can easily come and steal sandalwood trees as there are security  personnel only at the Lake entrance gate.

The walkers have urged the Police and the Forest officials to deploy more security personnel to the lake to protect sandalwood trees besides constructing high rise wall around the lake.

Jayalakshmipuram Police based on the complaint by the University of Mysore have registered a case.