Trees axed illegally to widen road

KHARAR, Oct 1: Seventy-eight trees of eucalyptus and mulberry were axed, some houses were demolished and five persons including three women were injured when they were beaten up mercilessly during an operation to widen the approach road to a religious place near Mullanpur Garibdass villages, which falls under Kharar subdivision, about 20 km from here on Tuesday evening.

The irate villagers blocked the vehicular traffic on the road for about two hours immediately after the incident but the police have not registered any case in this connection so far.

The villagers allege that hundreds of persons, led by the head priest of the religious place situated at Chuharmajra village, appeared in a residential colony situated near Mullanpur Garibdas village and illegally axed 78 trees on the roadside, demolished some houses and the persons who protested against this action were beaten up mercilessly. They alleged that they assailants were equipped with sharp-edged weapons, lathis and sticks and arrived in tractor-trolleys. The axed trees and the debris of the demolished houses were also allegedly taken away by them. The injured had been identified as Jaspal Kaur, Darshana, Baro, Kurnail Singh and Raja.