Ex-sarpanch hampers work of government officials, booked

Tribune News Service
Patiala, December 8

 Former sarpanch owing allegiance to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), who is reportedly a close aide of ex-Cabinet Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra, is in the dock. In fact, the sarpanch along with others was booked after they ignored court orders and “forcibly tried to takeover panchayat land”, which was in possession of the Young Farmers’ Association, an organisation dealing with agriculture.

After a complaint lodged by the Kanungo, Dhablan, the Patiala police have booked ex-sarpanch Inderjeet Singh, along with Vicky, Karamjit Singh, Tarlochan Singh and 15 to 20 unidentified persons, for deterring public servants from discharging their duties.

According to the complaint, the District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO), Tehsildar, and other officials tried to take possession of the panchayat land in Rakhra village, but the occupant of the site in question showed stay orders from the High Court. After seeing the stay orders, government officials declined to take possession of the land.

However, former sarpanch and his accomplices, who were allegedly against the occupation of land, forced officials to take its possession. In the melee, they (sarpanch and his accomplices) misbehaved with officials. In fact, the suspects forcibly installed signboards of Rakhra Panchayat on the disputed land disregarding the court order.

According to officials, Panchayat Land Collector-cum-District Development and Panchayat Officer had ordered officials to take possession of the land on December 5. In the meantime, the owner of the land took a stay from the High Court on December 6.

“When we tried to take possession of the land, but the complainant showed us the stay orders. Therefore, we didn’t take its possession. Villagers then misbehaved with us and asked us to take possession of the land in question,” said Satinder Kumar, Kanungo, Dhablan.

 Meanwhile, the police have booked the suspects under Sections 353, 186, 447, 427, 506, 511, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code. However, the suspects along with dozens of villagers started a ‘Path’ on the disputed land.

 “We have got stay orders from the High Court, but the suspects are still occupying the land. They have started a ‘Path’ at the site and escaping from the police action against them,” said Bhagwan Das, president of the Young Farmers’ Association.

 The suspects claimed that officials had completed the process to take possession of the land before the stay order and had taken signatures of 200 villagers in this regard.