Criminals cut over 500 lemon trees and 200 betel plants at Kumarsail Punjee in Barlekha upazila under the district on Thursday and Saturday nights, creating fresh panic among the Khasi people who earlier faced similar attacks by alleged land grabbers.

Visiting the area on Sunday, this correspondent saw gloomy faces of the indigenous people, mostly women, sitting in the betel plantation.

"Many Khasi families live by growing crops on spare land in the punjee area. Without this land, where betel and lemon are grown, it will be hard for the people to survive," said Jeni Rambai, a victim.

The Khasi people alleged that local tea garden authorities are trying to occupy the land.

"We are passing days in fear of attack by organised criminals who have been trying to occupy our betel plantations. Land grabbing is the purpose behind cutting of the trees," said Santosh Potam, head of the

punjee.

"We demand immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of the people involved in such heinous act," he said.

Father Joseph Gomes, central committee member of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon, said, "It is the responsibility of the state to ensure security of the Khasi community. The authorities concerned should take immediate action against the perpetrators."

Munshi Marufur Rahman, manager of Kumarsail Tea Garden, said, "We are working to cultivate the leased areas in our garden according to rules. As Khasi people are obstructing it, we filed a complaint with the local police station in last September."

He, however, evaded any direct answer when asked about the cutting of lemon trees and betel plants.

Earlier on January 2 this year, criminals cut over 3,000 betel plants at Madhab Punjee in Barlekha and the affected people filed a petition with Senior Judicial Magistrate's Court in the upazila on January 9.