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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