The Economic Times

Banyan tree under arrest in Pakistan: Why a British officer ordered it chained in 1898, and nobody ever 'released' it

A banyan tree in Landi Kotal, Pakistan, has remained chained to the ground since 1898, when a reportedly intoxicated British officer, James Squid, allegedly believed the tree was moving towards him and ordered it to be arrested. A board still reads I am under arrest. Passed down through generations and reported by media, the bizarre colonial-era story has since become a symbol of British authority in the region.