‘Treetop protest’ by local leader enters fourth day

The former Akali leader who is climbing on a eucalyptus tree for last three days, demanding compensation for his land acquired by a company said that he would come down only after Chief Minister of Punjab comes to meet him.

Chandigarh: The former Akali leader who is
climbing on a eucalyptus tree for last three days, demanding
compensation for his land acquired by a company, on Monday said
that he would come down only after Chief Minister of Punjab
comes to meet him.

"Only the Chief Minister can bring me down," Avtar
Singh Nagla said from the treetop.

He is alleging that his family never got compensation for
their ancestral land acquired 30 years ago by Sukhna Paper
Mill.

However, the administration has produced the document to
prove that the amount was paid to his grandfather in 1983.
"His demands are illogical, irrational and unjustified,"
Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Puneet Goyal said.

Police have arrested four persons, including Nagla`s
brother for trespassing and also booked him for hatching a
conspiracy on the complaint of `Shipra Estate Ltd`, police
said today.

In his complaint, the company officials have alleged that
Nagla`s brother along with three persons trespassed into
their land at the behest of Nagla and threatened him and his
colleagues, police said.
Meanwhile, police said Nagla would be arrested soon.

Surviving on roasted gram, burgers and juice, Nagla has a
battery of media-persons, policemen and supporters below.

He is sitting on a cot tied with the tree firmly in Nagla
village, some 20 km from here.

To ease himself, he uses polythene bags and bottles.

To ward off anyone trying to climb the tree, he is
armed with bag of stones and an axe.

Nagla`s land adjoins that of Shipra Estate Ltd which now
owns the mill property.

PTI

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