CHANDIGARH – The Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into a land acquisition deal that allegedly benefited three influential families in cornering Rs 5.63 crore. One of the families is alleged to have close association with Bikram Singh Majithia, Punjab Revenue Minister and brother-in-law of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.
The development is significant as the government paid compensation of about Rs 8.67crore within days of the land being purchased by the families for just over Rs 1.50 crore.
Issuing the directions on Wednesday, the Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice T.S. Dhindsa also set a one-month deadline for the premier investigating agency to complete the inquiry. The High Court also made it clear that it would be monitoring the progress in the probe by keeping the matter pending. The case will now come up for further hearing on September 12.
In their petition filed in public interest before the HC, Jarnail Singh and three other residents of Mandi Khurd village in Bathinda had earlier demanded an inquiry to look into the alleged scam hovering around the acquisition of land for engineered sanitary landfill facility. Directions were also sought to shift the project to some other place.
The petitioners, through counsel Ramandeep Singh Pandher, had earlier alleged that a decision was taken to acquire 36. 81 acres in Mundi Khurd village for setting up the project after a land survey was conducted on February 10 last year.
On February 25, 2011, a report was sent to the Principal Secretary stating the land was appropriate for the purpose.
