Maintain status quo of Mukerian shamlat land: HC

A Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed to maintain the status quo of a shamlat (common) land falling under the jurisdiction of the Municipal Council of Mukerian. The land was allegedly bought by the land mafia in connivance with the Revenue Department officials.

The petitioners Naval Kumar and Gurdian Singh of Mukerian in Hoshiarpur district had filed a PIL, alleging that about six persons had executed a sale deed of the land in connivance with the officers named in the petition. The petitioners have sought proceedings against the people for removing the encroachments, saying they would “raise the construction” on the land without any delay.

The petitioners have made the Punjab government, Deputy Commissioner of Hoshiarpur, Sub Divisional Magistrate, MC Mukerian, MC Executive Officer Subash Chander and Tehsildar Nirmal Singh as official respondents in the PIL.

The PIL sought directions for the opposite parties to produce the record and wanted action against the EO and Tehsildar, who “in connivance with land grabbers/ land mafia has allowed the execution of sale deed”.