Omaxe residents protest after trees planted again near Tyagi’s house in Noida

Noida: Around 15 fully-grown palm trees were planted in front of self-proclaimed politician Shrikant Tyagi’s house in Noida’s Sector 93 by his family members on Tuesday afternoon, even as police and Noida authority officials witnessed the entire process

Noida: Around 15 fully-grown palm trees were planted in front of self-proclaimed politician Shrikant Tyagi’s house in Noida’s Sector 93 by his family members on Tuesday afternoon, even as police and Noida authority officials witnessed the entire process.

Omaxe residents protest after trees planted again near Tyagi’s house in Noida

The entire Tyagi episode and the viral video of him abusing a female resident had started over a similar plantation done earlier. The trees planted around two months ago were bulldozed by the Noida authority when the matter escalated.

However, on Tuesday, neither police nor the authority stepped in to stop the plantation that took place around noon.

Residents of Grand Omaxe society in Sector 93 said that Tyagi’s family got the large trees to be planted in the common area of the society again on Tuesday, in an attempt to encroach upon the common area.

Residents added that Tyagi’s family had an argument with the guards at the main gate and forcefully got the pick-up vehicle to enter the housing society.

“We asked the police to intervene but they did not help. The Noida authority officials were later informed and a team visited the society. This is absolutely illegal as Tyagi’s family is again trying to encroach upon the common area,” said Mahima Joshi, general secretary, Grand Omaxe apartment owners’ association (AOA).

Incidentally, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Mange Ram Tyagi on Monday had said that the trees removed from Annu Tyagi’s house will be replanted within 24 hours with the support of the Tyagi community and they will start a protest outside the society if the police and administration tried to stop them.

A Noida authority team led by additional chief executive officer Praveen Mishra reached the spot at the Grand Omaxe society around 3pm. Officials did not remove the trees, while they also issued a warning to all residents to remove their illegal encroachments within 48 hours.

“We got a complaint that the trees that were found to be encroaching upon the common space in front of Tyagi’s house and were removed earlier have been replanted. When we reached and removed one tree, his family members protested, saying that other encroachments should also be removed in the society. We have inspected the entire situation. We are giving 48-hour time to the Tyagi family and others to remove encroachments, otherwise, the authority will do it forcibly with the help of the police,” said Mishra.

Grand Omaxe AOA president Avinash Saxena said that the residents are talking to the Noida authority officials about the situation.

Later on Tuesday evening, members from the Tyagi community tried to enter the housing society and shouted slogans in Shrikant Tyagi’s support. They were asked to leave by the police personnel deployed.

Meanwhile, police said that 10 personnel have been deployed near the society for the past couple of months. “There are 10 police personnel deployed outside the gates of the housing society. Additional force was deployed today when we got to know about the complaints from residents. If the authority seeks more force for any activity later, it will be accordingly provided,” said Rambadan Singh, deputy commissioner of police (headquarters).

Tyagi’s wife was present outside her house but refused to comment on the matter. However, another relative who identified himself as Abhishek Tyagi said, “Our only request is to treat all residents equally and remove all encroachments from the society. Trees are not an encroachment but there are others who have made permanent construction.”

Noida authority CEO Ritu Maheshwari had earlier told HT that over 300 notices have been sent by the Noida authority in 2019 to flats within Grand Omaxe that have some form of encroachment. Tyagi was also sent notices in 2019 and 2020, following which the encroachment was removed by him in 2021.

The final layout plan and maps of the housing society are still not officially sanctioned by the Noida authority, leading to an unusual number of encroachment cases, especially among the ground floor flats.