Rishi Kapoor In Trouble With Civic Body For 'Chopping' Instead Of 'Trimming' Tree

New Delhi: Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor has received a show cause notice from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for allegedly cutting extra branches of a Banyan tree located inside his Krishna Raj bungalow at Pali Hill (Mumbai), reports news agency PTI. According to BMC officials, Mr Kapoor sought permission to 'trim' a few branches of the tree because it was obstructing a planned construction. However, the officials noted that 'the branches were not trimmed but chopped off,' reports PTI. Talking about the notice, Rishi Kapoor told PTI that he will discuss the matter with the contractor assigned for the construction. "The tree hasn't been uprooted. I will check if the contractor has made a mistake," he said.

A BMC official told PTI that Rishi Kapoor was given "permission to trim six branches of the tree." The official told PTI: "However, subsequent inspection revealed that the tree has been reduced to its trunk. The branches were not trimmed but chopped off."

Rishi Kapoor has been given 24 hours to explain why BMC should not initiate action against him. If he fails to give an adequate reason then, "BMC will file a police complaint, for registering a case under the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, and Section 155 of the Code ofCriminal Procedure," the official told PTI.

Rishi Kapoor stays in the Pali Hill bungalow with his mother Krishna Raj Kapoor and wife Neetu Singh. His son, actor Ranbir Kapoor, stays in a separate apartment nearby.

Rishi Kapoor was last seen in 2016 film Kapoor And Sons and his upcoming film is Manto, directed by Nandita Das, and co-starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Rasika Duggal.

(With PTI inputs)