HC to Punjab: Submit final report on illegal properties in 3 months

Allowing the request made by Punjab,the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday directed the Punjab government to file the final report giving details of alleged illegal properties owned by bigwigs including IAS/IPS officers in the periphery of Chandigarh. A division bench comprising Justice A K Goel and Justice Nirmaljit Kaur has directed the State to file the final report within three months.

The directions were passed on Friday during the resumed hearing of a petition arising out a suo motu notice taken by the High Court on the issue of illegal properties owned by bigwigs. Newsline was the first to report that the Punjab government has constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the case.

The investigation of the case will be supervised by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP),Hardeep Dhillon and monitored by S C Agarwal,Chief Secretary,Punjab. The investigation has been handed over to the economic offences wing.

Dhillon had replaced Chander Shekhar,former investigating officer in the case. Shekhar had retired as Director General of Police (DGP),Railways after which Dhillon was appointed as the new investigating officer. The Chief Secretary in the affidavit filed on Friday said directions were issued to Mohali Deputy Commissioner and district forest officers to furnish information pertaining illegal properties owned by bigwigs.