Karan Gilhotra’s name figures as youngest sarpanch

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 27

Chandigarh-based businessman Karan Gilhotra (38), whose name surfaced in the controversy after the ICC wrote to the BCCI terming Gilhotra, an alleged bookie, figures in the Limca Book of Records for being the youngest sarpanch of the country.

Gilhotra, who owns an agency of an automobile firm and a clothing chain in the city, was unanimously elected sarpanch of Ghaniani village near Fazilka in Punjab during the panchayat poll.

A close friend of Gilhotra said Karan had contested the panchayat poll in June 1998. There were around 200 voters in the village, who unanimously elected him as the sarpanch. Karan was 21 years and four months old at the time of becoming the sarpanch.

Apart from this, Gilhotra is a regular on the Chandigarh party scene. He is reportedly close to various Bollywood celebrities, politicians, bureaucrats and IPL franchise officials. He has posted several pictures with them on his Facebook page. A number of Bollywood celebrities and politicians had attended his birthday and marriage anniversary parties, people close to him revealed.

Sources said his family had a number of residential and commercial properties in Chandigarh, Panchkula and Zirakpur.

Early education at Mayo College, Ajmer

Born on October 16, 1976, at Fazilka, Karan got his early education at Mayo College, Ajmer. He passed his Class XI and XII from DAV College, Chandigarh. He graduated in commerce from DAV College, Jalalabad. Around eight years ago, he shifted his business to Chandigarh.