29 acres freed in Abhipur: Court summons Punjab minister over allegations of illegal action

Land owner Capt Bikramjit Singh (retd) moves court, alleging that the Punjab govt freed the land from his possession illegally

Over six weeks after the state government freed 29 acres of allegedly encroached panchayat land at Abhipur village, a local court has summoned Punjab rural development and panchayat minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and other department officials to produce documents supporting their action.

Punjab rural development and panchayat minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and other department officials have been summoned in court with documents supporting their action. (HT)

The minister has been summoned at 10 am on July 25, 2022, by the court of civil judge junior division, Kharar, Geeta Rani, on a petition by Capt Bikramjit Singh (retd), who has claimed rightful ownership of the land.

On April 28, as part of a state-wide drive, the rural development and panchayats department, in Dhaliwal’s presence, had freed the land from Capt Bikramjit’s possession, prompting him to move court.

Former OSD to former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, Capt Bikramjit had contested the 2017 Punjab assembly elections on an AAP ticket from Khemkaran in Tarn Taran district and lost. After the elections, he remained the party’s spokesperson for long, before switching to the SAD.

In court, Capt Bikramjit has claimed that he bought the land from the original owners tilling the land since before 1945. He has alleged that the department of rural development and panchayats, in its exuberance of creating media news, broke all laws to victimise him and disturbed his peaceful possession.