HC appoints IAS officer, 2 others to decide cases

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 10

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday appointed a woman IAS officer, Tanu Kashyap, along with two other officers, Hardyal Singh Chatha and Amardeep Singh Bains, for deciding cases related to illegal possession of land on the periphery of the city.

The move comes amid allegations of illegal possession of land by politicians, bureaucrats, senior police officials and other big wheels on the periphery of Chandigarh. Kashyap is posted as the Director, Rural Development and Panchayat Department, while Chatha is Fatehagarh Sahib ADC and Bains is the Deputy Director. The Punjab Government, on a previous date of hearing, had filed a status report by way of an affidavit by the Director, Rural Development and Panchayat, Sibin C.

Among other things, a list was furnished of officers to whom the responsibility of the Collector and Appellate Authority under the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act could be assigned.

The names of the officers were finalised by the Division Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Shekhar Dhawan after seeking consent of senior advocate ML Sarin, assisting the court as amicus curiae.

The matter was brought to the notice of the High Court by Nayagoan resident Kuldip Singh. Accusing a senior police functionary in a land grab bid in Nayagaon, he had sought protection, while praying for the registration of an FIR and a CBI probe into the dealings.

The inquiry was entrusted to the ADGP, after Justice Ranjit Singh of the High Court took cognisance of the matter. Justice Ranjit Singh had asked the ADGP to lay emphasis on Nayagaon, Zirakpur, Mohali, Kansal and the Koraran area. The Judge had added: “It will also need an investigation to see as to what is the source of acquisition”.