SAD activist booked for selling gurdwara land

Tribune News Service

Anandpur Sahib, January 29

The police yesterday booked an Akali leader from Nurpur Bedi, Jagtar Singh Bhaini, who connived with a Congress leader and allegedly sold land belonging to Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib. The district attorney has asked the police to also investigate the role of revenue officials in the case, sources said.

Bhaini, a member of the Ropar district grievances redressal committee, is out on bail in a criminal case.

The police said that Raj Paul Singh, nambardar of Kiratpur Sahib, sold eight kanals of gurdwara land to the SAD leader for Rs 12.5 lakh. The market price of the land is said to be around Rs 3.5 crore.

Bhaini, after land registry, sold two kanals and four marlas to Sant Maan Singh for Rs 1.13 crore.

The police began investigations into the case when the matter was brought to their notice by Takht Kesgarh Sahib manager on June 8 last year.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that the land was registered in the name of Raj Paul Singh on March, 15, 1983, showing him as ‘kashtkar.’ The land was under the occupation of Baba Balkar Singh, who ran an academy for the wards of 1984 riot victims.

Congress leader Rajpal filed a case in 1991 for possession of the land. The court, however, dismissed the case as withdrawn.

On November 15, 2011, the Congress leader transferred his land rights in favour of Bhaini via general power of attorney in lieu of Rs 12.5 lakh. Bhaini sold a portion of the land to Sant Maan Singh for Rs 1.13 crore. The latter, who had started construction, vacated the land after the controversy last year.