Residents of Kothi No. 4 at receiving end as Army pastes eviction notice

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 12

The residents of Kothi No. 4, a residential bungalow, located in the Army cantonment area, near Sadar Bazaar, are facing the threat of getting displaced from their home.

Around 16 families have been living in the kothi for the past three to four decades. All of a sudden the Army authorities pasted a notice (sans any signature) of vacating the property and deputed its jawans on a portion of the disputed site, where a private school used to run earlier.

The private school was shifted to other location recently. A day before yesterday, the Army authorities locked the two gates of the kothi thereby restricting the movements of residents. One of the gate was opened after the intervention of the Police Department and the district administration.

Vishesh Samra, the owner along with Jugal Kishore, the co-owner, resisted the attempt and lodged a complaint with the police in this regard.

“Some repair was under progress in the portion vacated by the school. The military officials, who entered the premises, objected to it. We accordingly gave in writing not to initiate any construction work,” said Vishesh Samra while adding that he along with Jugal Kishore had met station headquarter commandant, RP Sharma in this regard. He said even after that the military personnel did not leave from the premises and pasted a notice to vacate the property, which legally they cannot, he pointed out.

While giving details, Kishore said the property was legally owned by Dr Piara Lal, which was later transferred in the name of his wife Rattan Kaur. His legal heirs further sold the propert y through registered sale deeds. He said after changing several hands, the land was lastly purchased by them through proper sale deeds. He said, “The resumption process was started by the Army in 1984 for this bungalow, but the matter was decided by the court that the Army cannot resume property through any executive order and they have to follow the lawful procedure.” He claimed that the order still persists as the matter was pending in the High Court, which had also stayed the vacation of the property by its owners.

On the other hand the 16 families, approached the vice-chairman, National SC Commission, Raj Kumar Verka, who had asked the Assistant Commissioner of Police (West) to inquire about the case and submit an action taken report to the commission within three days. The ACP was yet to start the investigations as he was out of station for some work.

Defense estate officer of the Army cantonment, whose headquarters in Jalandhar, could not be contacted even after repeated attempts.