Forest Department Files FIR Against Toxic Movie Team for Alleged Illegal Tree Felling in Bengaluru

The Karnataka Forest Department has filed an FIR against the producers of the upcoming multilingual film Toxic and other parties involved in the alleged illegal cutting of trees. This action follows concerns raised by Karnataka’s Minister for Forest, Ecology, and Environment, Eshwar Khandre, regarding environmental damage during the film's shoot in Bengaluru’s Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) area. Directed by Geetu Mohandas, Toxic stars Rocking Star Yash in the lead role.

Minister Khandre recently shared satellite images on social media, which reportedly show the unauthorized felling of hundreds of trees to build sets for Toxic. Following an inspection of the location, Khandre confirmed that the tree cutting was unauthorized and demanded immediate legal action against those responsible. The alleged tree felling occurred on reserved forest land in Peenya plantation (Survey No. 2), reportedly owned by Canara Bank.

In response, the Karnataka Forest Department filed an FIR under Section 24(g) of the Karnataka Forest Act, 1963, which prohibits land clearing or tree cutting within forest areas for construction. The FIR is filed against KVN Productions, Canara Bank’s General Manager, and HMT Limited. Minister Khandre emphasized the duty of all to protect Karnataka’s forests, noting his commitment to strict action against illegal activities. Although this legal issue may pose challenges, Toxic, produced by KVN Productions and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations, is set for a 2025 release.