Planting a Sandwood tree is not banned, the plant even it is on your land it belongs to government, the forest department.

But the risk over keeping it safe from theft is one issue, the process after getting ur Sandwood tree stollen is a pain. When have to cut it down for some reason u have to inform forest department. Wait for them, they comes and takes measurements, numbers it and takes it with them. and you will get paid after long years of processes(gov stuff takes time you know right). This all reasons making it A pain in the ass for growing sandlewood tree makes people don't wanna plant them at all.

This has led to drastic decrease in sandlewood, increase in price sandlewood wood and its products, increase thefts and smuggling of sandlewood from forest(Puspa:The rise)

I remember an incident in my town when a bunch of theifs stole a fair enough Sandwood tree which was very close like a wall away from a police station without any noise. They did it so perfect that they roped and tied the top branches of the Sandwood tree to close by trees and cut out the trunk without making noise. Even the police didn't here a sound they say.

There was a time when teakwood had the same fate since it was used to lay electric posts. Who ever had a teakwood growing on his land had to give it up when asked by gov.