Five persons have been arrested for allegedly cutting down and destroying around 3,100 banana trees belonging to 12 farmers at Jutpani in Kalika Municipality-6 of Chitwan district.

According to DSP Prabhu Prasad Dhakal, spokesperson at the District Police Office, Chitwan, preparations are underway to file a public offence against the arrestees.

The suspects, arrested from different parts of the district, have been identified as Manish Bahadur Gurung, 23, and Arjun Gahatraj, 23, of Kalika Municipality-1, Gopal Pariyar, 28, and Sujan Lopchan, 22, of Kalika-3 and Umesh Majhi, 18, of Kalika-5.

Police suspected that other persons are also involved in the case and are searching for them.

Police said that they have cut down and destroyed the banana trees belonging to Kopila Dahal, Sobha Bhatta, Jhalak Subedi, Shankar Amgai, Gopi Lamichhane, Lila Pangeni, Nawaraj Dhital and Purba Bahadur Khadka, Devi Prasad Gotame, Dhruba Acharya, Govinda Dahal and Bhuminanda Dawadi.

According to Chitwan Banana Producers’ Association Chairman Bishnu Hari Panta, 3,094 banana trees were destroyed. The farmers came to know about the incident on Tuesday morning, he added.

The Association said banana trees worth around Rs 1.5 million were destroyed in the incident. The perpetrators have also destroyed maize plants cultivated in a five kattha land.