CKD president sent to 5-yr jail for land fraud

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service 

Amritsar, September 21

Dr Santokh Singh, the president of Chief Khalsa Dewan (CKD), was on Friday sentenced to five years in prison in a land fraud case. The verdict was delivered by Chief Judicial Magistrate RS Bajwa here.

Manjit Singh of Gali Waziranwali in Rajasansi and Mohinder Singh of Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar had accused Dr Santokh Singh, his brother Inderpal Singh and two others of trying to grab their ancestral land in Haer village on the airport road. 

During the trial, Dr Santokh Singh and his brother produced a sale deed agreement, claiming that the land had been sold to them by Bishan Singh and Gopal Dass in 1967. But the complainants pointed out that Gopal Dass had died in 1940 and Bishan Singh in 1950.

Counsel Ajay Vermani said the court had found Dr Santokh Singh guilty of forgery under Sections 465, 467, 468 and 471 of the IPC and of criminal conspiracy. He said Inderpal Singh, already declared a ‘proclaimed offender’, did not appear in court during the trial. 

“The CJM’s court has awarded a maximum of five-year imprisonment and Rs 10,000 as fine under Section 467, four years’ imprisonment and Rs 10,000 fine under Section 468, two years’ jail and Rs 5,000 fine under Section 465, two years’ jail and Rs 5,000 fine under Section 471 and five years’ imprisonment and Rs 10,000 fine for criminal conspiracy (Section 120-B). The sentences will run concurrently,” Vermani said.

Meanwhile, the CKD honorary secretary, Narinder Singh Khurana, told The Tribune that senior vice-president Dhanraj Singh would take over as officiating president. The elections to the body are due next year. Unlike the SGPC, the CKD is an apolitical body. It runs 47 schools, three colleges (educational institutes), orphanages, old-age homes, hospitals and clinics.

Chief Khalsa Dewan in doldrums once again

• The 115-year-old Chief Khalsa Dewan Charitable Society (CKDCS), is once again headless
• Noted surgeon and philanthropist, Dr Santokh Singh was elected president on March 25
• He defeated former Akali MP Rajmohinder S Majitha by 10 votes in the 513-member House 
• The election took place after Charanjit Singh Chadha, who headed the Society between 2004 and 2017, was asked by Akal Takht to step down following a sleaze tape on the social media
• Subsequently, Chadha and his son Inderpreet (he later committed suicide) were booked
• Chadha appeared before the Takht for atonement and was awarded a two-year ban