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Bathinda land grab case: Four-member SIT headed by ADGP initiates re-investigation
Four months after the Bathinda range police gave a clean chit to a city doctor facing allegations of encroaching prime land of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), a special investigation team (SIT) headed by additional director general of police (ADGP) Sudhanshu S Srivasvata has initiated re-investigating into the matter.
BATHINDA : Four months after the Bathinda range police gave a clean chit to a city doctor facing allegations of encroaching prime land of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), a special investigation team (SIT) headed by additional director general of police (ADGP) Sudhanshu S Srivasvata has initiated re-investigating into the matter.
The Punjab Police constituted a four-member SIT last month after Bathinda deputy commissioner (DC) Showkat Ahmad Parray wrote to the director general of police (DGP) in October last year expressing indifferences on absolving Dr Gajendra Shekhawat in the alleged encroachment of land measuring about 12,000 yards.
On Tuesday, SIT head Srivastava, who is ADGP (security), confirmed that the probe in the FIR registered against Shekhawat and others has started but declined to share more details.
Bathinda civil administration officials are tight-lipped on the matter saying that the investigation is with the SIT.
Officials familiar with the matter said that on January 1, the SIT summoned revenue records from Bathinda to scrutinise the claims of the district administration charging Shekhawat and others for encroaching public land.
“The SIT will look into whether the findings of the Bathinda administration on land encroachment had any basis. A detailed report, that is likely to be submitted in the next few weeks, may make way for further in-depth probe if the encroachment charge was a tip of the iceberg or the accused were subjected to harassment,” said a government official, requesting anonymity.
On January 25 last year, then Bathinda DC-cum-registrar Parray had lodged a complaint against Shekhawat, Ashok Kumar, a real estate agent, and two brothers Gurwinder Singh and Harjinder Singh.
An FIR against the four was registered on April 6 last year under Section 82 of the Registration Act, and 420 (cheating), 447 (criminal trespass), 465 (forgery) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
Officials privy to the case said that the FIR was lodged following an internal investigation of revenue records.
Shekhawat has been claiming innocence in the matter stating he was victimised.
SPS Parmar, the then ADGP, Bathinda range, got the matter investigated and on August 29 last year, had directed senior superintendent of police (SSP) Amneet Kondal to get Shekhawat discharge from the case after filing a report of cancellation of the FIR in a local court.
Parmar’s report concluded that Shekhawat was “singled out” and subjected to “arm twisting to benefit certain party”.
ADGP Parmar had entertained a complaint from Shekhawat’s father and gave him a clean chit. “The master plan of Bathinda city does not mention that the PSPCL has any land in the area where the accused owns the land,” the ADGP had said in his findings.
The report had further stated that the case was registered on an anonymous complaint which does not deserve to be entertained as there is no aggrieved party.
Parmar, absolved only Shekhawat and there was no reference in his report to the three other accused.
HT had reported in October last year quoting Parmar, now posted as ADGP (law and order), that the Bathinda SSP was asked to investigate the matter and identify the culprits, if any, for legal action.
Parray was quoted stating that the DC office was not engaged while hearing an application (by ADGP Parmar) and his office, which was a complainant in the matter, was not informed after a clean chit was given in the matter.
