Case file goes missing from MC records

Shivani Bhakoo

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 19

An important file in the controversial Grand Walk mall case, which remained in news recently, has gone missing from the Municipal Corporation records.

Strangely, the hearing of the particular case will also begin soon. Perturbed, the MC authorities are ready to get an FIR registered with the Sarabha Nagar police station.

Confirming the development, Municipal Corporation Commissioner Jaskiran Singh said: “One of the files regarding the submission of compounding fee by the owner is missing from the office records. We are getting all details. A complaint has already been lodged at the Sarabha Nagar police station, but no FIR has been registered so far.”

The particular case has already taken many twists and turns. Regarding the non-compoundable violation, the construction of the sixth floor in the mall, the MC building branch issued notice to the owners and three days’ time was given.

Minister of Local Bodies Navjot Singh Sidhu in a telephonic conversation with The Tribune said: “They gave notice without even informing me or taking me into confidence. For non-compoundable violation, they could have given a short notice of just about an hour or two because here demolition remains the only option. Instead, the building branch gave three-day notice to the violator. Enough time was provided to the owner of the Grand Walk mall so that he or others could move court to get stay orders. The building branch officials are deep in corruption. But this will not continue (corruption).”

Highly placed sources, however, said as soon as the staff/ officials of the building branch came to know about registering an FIR, about six persons reached Chandigarh to meet Minister Navjot Sidhu. It is learnt that Sidhu has given them a day’s time to locate the missing documents and provide the details of the entire case or be ready to face music (registration of FIR).

Another higher official in the Local Bodies Department said the land (for Grand Walk) was auctioned in 2009 and an agreement was signed between the MC and one person Sarabjit Singh (of Lawrence Road, Amritsar). The terms and conditions regarding the agreement were laid. Interestingly, in 2012, the sale deed of the particular land was executed in the name of one GS Majestic. For this, no permission was taken from the Municipal Corporation and it was total violation of the terms and condition. Not only this, an application for occupying the land after completion of the building was given to the MC again from Sarabjit Singh (the original allottee) in February 2017. “We fail to understand what the case is about, how rules and regulations were bent to favour someone and why the then MC officials/ staff, Department of Local Bodies remained mum over the issue?” he asked.