Demolition man: Bedi speaks to the media in Amritsar.
— A Tribune photograph |
Amritsar, February 25
In order to get part of his ancestral house vacated, renowned cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi got demolished a structure late last night where his tenant had been running a small-scale industry for the past more than 35 years.
The beleaguered tenant, Anil Delawri, while talking to the media alleged that Bedi accompanied by some men got the roof of his industrial units demolished without informing or serving any notice to him. He said he had suffered a loss of around Rs 20 lakh as the machinery installed there for making spare parts for textile industries in the area was totally damaged. He alleged that cricketer’s men also removed the raw material from the site. He said he had filed a complaint with the Islamabad police station in this regard but no action had been taken against the cricketer.
Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, SSP, said he had received a complaint in this regard and an inquiry had been ordered.
Tenant Anil Dilawri shows the damaged machinery of the industrial unit after the roof of the shed was demolished by cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi’s men in Amritsar
on Monday. — Photo by Vishal Kumar |
Anil said Bedi wanted to grab the house of his sister, late Anupam Sodhi, as it was registered in her name. He alleged that two daughters of Anupam, Pooja and Ashu, were now living in the US and Bedi wanted to take advantage of their absence. He said he had been living here for the past 35 years and Bedi in order to pressurise them to vacate the shed had also lodged an FIR against
him and his worker Ram Baksh. He added that the police had arrested Ram Baksh two days ago and had released him today.
However, Bedi said he had demolished the part of his ancestral building as it could pose danger to the inhabitants who had been served prior notice to vacate the house. He said he had received a notice from the municipal corporation about 15 years ago about the dilapidated structure and he had been asked him to demolish the structure. He said he had urged the tenant to vacate the house. He claimed that the tenant was illegally occupying that part of the house as he had not paid the rent for the past 35 years, besides not signing any rent deed. He further alleged that the tenant had also illegally sub-let a portion of the house.
Bedi said his widowed mother and sister were living in the house and the portion had been rented out to Anil so that some funds could be generated for the maintenance of the house. He said he was fed up by his life in New Delhi and wanted to settle down here.
Meanwhile, councillor Surinder Chowdhary while protesting against the demolition claimed that the property was in the name of Anupam as the property was transferred in her name by her father, late Gian Singh Bedi, in his absence. He also demanded the
registration of a case against Bedi.
