Muktsar man accuses Jathedar’s son of land grab

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, November 13

A 65-year-old baptised Sikh, Tarsem Singh from Muktsar, has alleged that his three-marla prime commercial land on the Kotkapura road here has been under illegal occupation by Akal Takht chief Giani Gurbachan Singh’s son and a local Akali councillor since 2000.

Tarsem Singh was even present at Sarbat Khalsa held at Chabba village in Amritsar on November 10 to highlight his grievance. He had carried a placard reading: “Jathedar ton meri jagah chhudao (get my land freed from Jathedar)”.

The man got space on social media. Since then, he is getting calls from Sikhs settled in various parts of country and abroad as well.

Tarsem Singh said he had given his 8-marla land on lease to Giani Gurbachan Singh’s son Manjinder Singh Bittu and councillor Gurmeet Singh Jeeta for five years in May 2000 to open an automobile workshop.

“They forcibly took possession of the entire 16-marla plot. When I tried to construct a wall for partitioning land and separate two plots of 8-marla each, they thrashed me. I met then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who had directed the police to look into the matter, but nothing happened. Later during Capt Amarinder Singh’s tenure, I met him too. I also lodged a complaint to the then SSP, but to no avail. Even local MLA Karan Kaur Brar once wrote a letter to the Chief Minister on the matter,” alleged Tarsem Singh.

Tarsem said he was getting huge support from Sikh activists. “I want my land back, which is now worth nearly Rs40 lakh. I have everything in black and white to substantiate my claim. They (Manjinder and Gurmeet) have somehow managed to get the land registration done in their name, but it is illegal as the address shown on it does not match with the land under their possession,” he alleged.

Manjinder Singh claimed: “The land dispute was resolved amicably. I have no connection with that land. The land taken on lease was given back to Tarsem Singh. He is trying to tarnish our image.”

Gurmeet Singh said: “Nearly 2.25-marla land belongs to me now. We had opened a workshop taking land on lease from Tarsem Singh about 15 years ago. We spent Rs3.14 lakh on construction, which he had agreed pay, but he did not. Later, we both reached to a compromise, in which he decided to pay the amount and we give him the possession of the land.”

He added: “The land, which is now owned by me, was not in his name. Its owners sold off the land to me and I have all relevant documents.”