E-Paper
Phagwara ex-tehsildar’s interim bail plea dismissed in attached property sale case
The official, who was named as accused along with two persons, including a patwari, is absconding, say police
The district and sessions court in Kapurthala has dismissed the interim bail petition of former Phagwara tehsildar Praveen Kumar Chibber, who is accused in a case of selling properties that were attached in the multi-crore Bhola drug case.
On June 30, the police had booked Chibber, who is now posted as Shahkot tehsildar in Jalandhar district, Harmesh Kumar Gaba, an accused in the Bhola drug case, and a patwari for allegedly selling around 14 kanal land attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Phagwara superintendent of police (SP) Sarabjit Singh said Chibber is absconding.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED)’s zonal office (Jalandhar) had filed a complaint with the Kapurthala senior superintendent of police (SSP) in October last year against Gaba, brother of Goraya-based businessman Chunni Lal Gabba, who is also facing money laundering charges in the Bhola drug case. The ED said it came to light that Gaba sold properties, including 14 kanal land situated in the Hadiabad area of Phagwara, attached by the adjudicating authority (PMLA).
“Despite the issuance of provisional attachment order and eviction notice to sub-registrar, Phagwara, the authorised officer in connivance with Harmesh Gaba, knowingly allowed the sale of properties, which is subject matter in the appellate tribunal and the special PMLA court,” the ED said.
The police in their probe found that Harmesh sold the 14 kanal land to eight persons on different dates. According to the Phagwara SDM’s report, negligence was found on part of Chibber and the area Patwari. A case was registered under Section 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian penal Code (IPC) at the Phagwara police station.
