Cancel FIR against revenue officials, Mohali SSP told

MOHALI: Mohali Deputy Commissioner-cum-Collector Gurpreet Kaur Sapra today shot a communiqué to Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harcharan Singh Bhullar, asking him to cancel an FIR against two revenue officials in a land fraud case as the matter was already pending in the court of the Kharar SDM here.

Tribune News Service

Mohali, April 18

Mohali Deputy Commissioner-cum-Collector Gurpreet Kaur Sapra today shot a communiqué to Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harcharan Singh Bhullar, asking him to cancel an FIR against two revenue officials in a land fraud case as the matter was already pending in the court of the Kharar SDM here.

The local police had registered a case against Baljit Singh, a patwari, and Tarsem Sharma, former naib tehsildar, under Sections 420, 465, 468, 471 and 120 B of the IPC at the Mullanpur Police Station yesterday.

According to the norms, the police cannot register a case in the matter, which is sub judice. Last year, the police and civil administration authorities decided that all revenue-related matters would be looked into by the local SDM and DSP jointly and if they are unable to resolve those, a joint team of the ADC and the SP would look into the matter.

The police were also aware of the fact that the case was pending in the court of the local SDM as it was mentioned in the FIR.

Confirming the development, Sapra said the communiqué had been shot to the Mohali SSP, asking him to issue directions to cancel the FIR in question.

It is to be noted that the complainant Sharmila Devi, a resident of Ambala, had alleged that the revenue officials had entered the name of a real estate firm without the land owner’s consent. The complainant alleged that the revenue officials in connivance with the real estate firm carried out mutation of her mother’s 16 kanal land at Mullanpur.

The case is pending in the court of the Kharar SDM in which the further process has already been stayed and the next date of hearing is May 7, 2019.

In such cases, it is the prerogative of the Deputy Commissioner-cum-Collector to take action against Revenue Department officials after taking all facts into consideration.

The communiqué also stated that in all such matters the police needed to take a prior approval from the Collector-cum-Deputy Commissioner in future and in case of urgency, written comments could always be sought from the SDM. “Under no circumstances a patwari or an officer of the district administration should be called for directly by any wing of the local police,” stated the communiqué.

When contacted, Mohali SSP Harcharan Singh Bhullar said he would do the needful after taking the opinion of the District Attorney (legal) in the matter.

What norms say

ccording to the norms, the police cannot register a case in the matter, which is sub judice. Last year, the police and civil administration authorities decided that all revenue-related matters would be looked into by the local SDM and DSP jointly and if they are unable to resolve those, a joint team of the ADC and the SP would look into the matter.
Also, the police were aware of the fact that the case was pending in the court of the local SDM as it was mentioned in the FIR.