10 booked for blocking highway, holding protest without consent

Gaurav Kanthwal

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Tribune News Service

Zirakpur, June 19

The police booked Ranjit Singh and nine others for blocking the national highway and staging a protest without taking due consent here this morning.

Traffic on the Chandigarh-Ambala National Highway was affected near Cosmo Mall for around 20 minutes when a family blocked the road around 7.30 am, alleging that its land was acquired for the construction of the road in 2005, but no compensation has been paid yet.

Traffic police in-charge Ombir Singh rushed to the spot with police force and calmed down the family members. Naib Tehsildar Puneet Bansal too reached the spot and assured the family to hear the matter.

Ranjit Singh, a member of the protesting family, complained that 3,300 yards of land was acquired from his uncle, Bahadur Singh, for four-laning of the Chandigarh-Ambala National Highway in 2005, but due to the alleged negligence of the department concerned, the family has not received compensation even after 16 years.

Zirakpur SHO Onkar Singh Brar said: “Patiala resident Ranjit Singh and nine others have been booked for staging a protest on the highway without taking prior consent. Naib Tehsildar Puneet Bansal and the Duty Magistrate were asked to visit the spot at the time of the incident.”