Ex-councillor, sugar mill head booked for illegal sale of Loh Langar land

Former councillor and ex-chairman of Budhewal Sugar Mills, Bant Singh Daburjee, has been nominated in a case of fraud registered at Sahnewal police station in April last year.

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A case under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of IPC and section 36 of Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act, 1995 was registered against 14 persons — Iqbal Singh, Avtar Singh, Nirmal Singh SS, Guljinder Singh, Gurnam Singh, Daljit Singh Jhajj, Jaswinder Singh, Jasvir Singh, Simranjeet Singh, Gurpeet Singh, Kuljit Singh, Bhupinder Singh, Parveen Kumar Gupta and Varinder Kumar Ohri — at the Sahnewal police station on April 13, 2024. The victims had alleged that plots were fraudulently sold to them by the above suspects, including property dealers and politicians. Many of the victims are migrants hailing from other states belonging to financially weaker sections of society.

The Loh Langar land, the sale and purchase of which was prohibited, was illegally carved into a colony, and given a name, New Mandeep Colony, the plots of which were sold to the victims, who were ostensibly not aware that they were being cheated. The plots were sold to them in installments by property dealers and politicians without disclosing the truth that the land belongs to Loh Langar mahants. The plot registries were issued to a number of buyers. The victims alleged that the administration failed to act to stop the suspects from selling the plots in 2019. The administration woke up from slumber after 150 to 200 houses were constructed on the land. They alleged that a board displaying an order prohibiting the purchase and sale of any Loh Langar land according to court orders was displayed in May, 2023.

Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) Harjinder Singh Gill said the victims had alleged that Bant Singh Daburjee, the one nominated in the case, was the one who took money from them at the time of initial sale agreement (biyana). “On investigation, Daburjee’s name figured and we are on the lookout for this man. His house has been raided but he still evades police arrest,” the ACP added.