First enemy property sealed in West Bengal to keep away alleged illegal occupants

The owners of the enemy properties are those who have left India and settled in Pakistan or China after the India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971 and the 1962 Sino-Indian war

An eight-storey building in central Kolkata, which is an enemy property, was sealed off by officials from the Custodian of Enemy Property for India (CEPI) on Saturday. This is the first time that an enemy property has been sealed in the state, officials said.

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“We sealed off the building at Ganesh Chandra Avenue after some people tried to occupy it illegally. They had also undertaken some reconstruction work inside the building. The owner of the building moved to Pakistan after the 1971 war. This is the first time that an enemy property has been sealed off,” said a senior official of the CEPI.

West Bengal accounts for the second-highest number of such enemy properties in India, according to data placed in the Lok Sabha earlier this year. While Uttar Pradesh has 5936 enemy properties, West Bengal has 4301.

“We have received information that a section of these properties is being illegally occupied. We are looking into these. More buildings may be sealed in the next few weeks,” said the official.

The owners of the enemy properties are those who have left India and settled in Pakistan or China after the India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971 and the 1962 Sino-Indian war.

The government has vested these properties in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India, an office instituted under the central government. At least enemy shares of 302 companies and 12426 immovable enemy properties are vested in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India.