Gherao: MLA, ex-Mayor booked

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 16

The Shimla police on Wednesday booked Theog CPM MLA Rakesh Singha, former mayor of the Shimla MC Sanjay Chauhan and 55 others for obstructing a public servant from discharging his duty, wrongful confinement and unlawful assembly.

The case was registered on the complaint of naib tehsildar, Jubbal, Raghuvir Singh, who said Singha with Sanjay Chauhan and others protested the removal of encroachments on the forest land and barged into his office, raised slogans and gheroed him on May 14. The situation became so tense that he had to call the police.

The government was removing encroachments above five bighas on the forest land on the orders of the High Court, seeking action against encroachers. The court also sought the compliance report.

On the other hand, Singha, who is also the general secretary of the Himachal Kisan Sabha, alleged that the government did not plead the case of encroachers properly and was harassing small farmers.

A Bench consisting of acting Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan had taken a serious note of delay in removal of encroachments on the forest land and constituted a SIT. The court had also directed to remove all encroachments above 5 bighas at the earliest.