‘Land Grab’ allegations: High court notice to Haryana minister Krishan Pal Gujjar

Krishan Pal Gujjar.

THE PUNJAB and Haryana High Court Thursday issued notice to Union Cabinet Minister Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Krishan Pal Gujjar and the Haryana government on a plea filed by a former Army personnel alleging that the minister, among others, grabbed his land in Faridabad’s village of Mewla Maharajpur and are threatening him to sell the land to them despite his refusal.

Justice Sudip Ahluwalia directed the district Deputy Commissioner of Police to file a reply and action taken report on the 63-year-old Bishamber Singh Chaprana’s representation in the matter on December 22. Notice was also issued to the SHO of Surajkund police station.

Chaprana, in his plea, said he and his daughter-in-law are owners of more than two acres since 2002 in the Faridabad village and Gujjar along with Tilak Raj, Sagar Singh and Parvesh want to grab the property on which he has built some rooms and shops.

Stating that despite his refusal to sell the property to them, Chaprana said some structure at his property was forcibly demolished with a JCB on November 21. “They (accused) have told him that they are close family members of … cabinet minister in Union of India. Private respondent No. 5 to 7 are politically powerful and they are leader in the BJP party also,” reads the plea.

Alleging that even the SHO of the area has been acting as an “agent’ of the accused, Chaprana has said that even the police official advised him to sell the land to them. He has said the SHO has refused to act on his application as “he does not want to lose his job” by taking action against Gujjar.

“Petitioner has threat to his life and liberty and they can kill him also and can harm the family to the petitioner also. Petitioner went to the official respondents but they refused to entertain the application of the petitioner,” his counsel Sandeep Sharma has said in the plea, while seeking police protection for Chaprana.