Kavrepalanchowk: Authorities have detained four individuals suspected of illegally cutting down a revered Bodhichitta (Buddhachitta) tree in Roshi Rural Municipality-5, Nagbeli, Kavrepalanchowk district.

According to DSP Raj Kumar Shrestha, spokesperson for the District Police Office in Dhulikhel, the arrested individuals have been identified as Prabhat Tamang, Shyam Krishna Mainali, Man Bahadur Tamang, and Durga Lal Tamang.

The group reportedly used explosives to fell the Bodhichitta tree located in the garden of Thakurani Tamang during the night hours of Thursday. Thakurani Tamang revealed that the Bodhichitta grains expected from the tree were valued at Rs 30 million this year, with advance payments already received.

The arrests were made following swift police action, with Mainali and Durga Lal apprehended in Banepa, Kavrepalanchowk, on Sunday, Prabhat captured in Kathmandu's Banasthali area on Saturday, and Man Bahadur taken into custody on the day of the incident.

The police discovered four socket bombs planted around the victim's house post the tree felling, prompting the intervention of the Nepal Army's Kalijung Battalion in Dhulikhel to defuse the explosives. Investigations are ongoing, with efforts underway to locate additional suspects involved in the incident.

Thakurani Tamang lodged a formal complaint against eight individuals, including the four arrested suspects, at the District Police Office on Sunday. Notably, the tree had previously been targeted for its fruit four years ago, indicating a potential link between the two incidents.

The Bodhichitta tree holds significant religious and cultural significance within the Tamang community, as well as Tibetan and Chinese societies, making its protection a matter of utmost importance for local residents.