Sarpanch booked for axing 15 trees

Faridkot, February 22

The police have booked a sarpanch for allegedly axing about 15 trees at Purnai Pipli village of Faridkot on Wednesday.

However, Iqbal Singh, the sarpanch, claimed that a false case had been registered against him at the instance of an AAP leader. The leader was annoyed with him after he took stand against a supporter of the AAP leader who had illegally occupied about four kanals of village school land.

“Two months before the Assembly elections in the state last year, the AAP leader had sat on a protest dharna in our village to oppose the removal of the encroachment on the land which was property of a government school in the village,” alleged the sarpanch.

“To settle scores, the AAP leader was instrumental in getting a false criminal case registered against me,” he alleged.

Faridkot BDPO Simrjeet Singh said after a complaint was received from the nambardar, it was investigated by a panchayat secretary. It was found that the sarpanch had axed about 15 trees, planted near the pond in the village, the BDPO said.