The Patiala deputy commissioner has ordered the restoration of land in Sular village back to a charitable trust after a few private persons and members of the trust, ‘fraudulently’ got it exchanged for a ‘non-existent’ land back in 2011.
As per the case file, a few people, allegedly in collusion with a few members of the trust, exchanged 25 acres of land belonging to Devinder Singh Charitable Trust for orphan children, with another land, which the accused never owned.
According to officials privy to investigations, the value of the trust’s land is ₹100 crore, and an FIR of forgery has been registered against Gurnish Singh of village Haji Majra, Harinder Singh, a resident of Chandigarh, Gurbachan Singh and Ranjit Singh in January 2023.
One of the accused, Gurnish’s pre-arrest bail was rejected by the local court on August 16. The district court, while rejecting the bail peal of Gurnish Singh remarked in its orders that land which has been shown to have been exchanged was never owned by the applicant and the other three members of the family.
The land was ‘exchanged’ in 2011, and after the persons failed to give an equivalent land to the trust the matter was reported to authorities.
{{/usCountry}}The land was ‘exchanged’ in 2011, and after the persons failed to give an equivalent land to the trust the matter was reported to authorities.
{{/usCountry}}In January, DC Sakshi Sawhney ordered FIR, and last week ordered the restoration of the land back to the trust.
“It was a grave misdeed committed by some persons in an effort to usurp the land of trust meant for orphans. We have restored the land to the trust. Those who are guilty will be punished. Already an FIR has been registered by police”, the DC said.
The DC said some private persons exchanged the prime land of trust with private land. “Though they got the prime land of the trust mutated in their name, they never gave the equivalent land to the trust. The matter has been pending for a long time. An FIR has been registered, and now the land has been restored to trust. Whosoever will be part of misdeed will be punished,” she said.
A senior official in the district said the matter was brushed under the carpet due to the involvement of a ‘numberdar’ who was close to many high-ranking officials.
“Another case involving the same group has also come to light wherein 8 acres of land marked as ‘Gau Charanad (cattle grazing land)’ in Sular village was also sold by private individuals, and a probe has been ordered,” he said.