New Delhi, Oct. 19 -- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Commissioner of Police, Agra, to ensure full security and protection for a petitioner and his two family members after he alleged that persons claiming to be contractors or builders involved in construction on the floodplain of the Khari River had threatened him and offered him money to withdraw his plea.

The tribunal, while hearing the matter on October 16, directed that protection be provided in the interim upon the petitioner filing an appropriate application for police protection. The order was passed by a bench comprising NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member Afroz Ahmad.

The petitioner, Devashish Bhattacharya, has approached the tribun...