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land grab cases
HC slams Punjab for moving SC against Kuldip Singh panel
Tribune News Service

File affidavit in 2 weeks The HC questioned the state government's decision to move the Supreme Court against the constitution of judicial panel headed by Justice Kuldip Singh, which has already submitted two damning reports in the matter. The court asked the state government whether it has faith in the findings given by the panel headed by a retired Supreme Court Judge or not. Admonishing the state government, the HC gave two weeks to file an affidavit explaining whether any other committee has been constituted by the state government; and to explain the rationale behind the move, if it has been set up.

Chandigarh, November 27
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday took the Punjab Government to task for double standards on probe in land grab matters.

The court questioned the intentions of the government for its decision to constitute a high- level committee to probe usurping of shamlat and other public lands on one hand, and moving the Supreme Court against Justice Kuldip Singh panel on the other.

As the issue came up for resumed hearing, the High Court questioned the state government's decision to move the Supreme Court against the constitution of the judicial panel, which has already submitted two damning reports in the matter.

The state government found itself pushed against the wall as the court asked whether it had faith in the findings given by the panel headed by a retired Supreme Court Judge or not. The Bench even asked the state whether it had more faith in its bureaucrats and their findings.

Admonishing the state, the High Court gave two weeks to file an affidavit explaining whether any other committee has been constituted by the state government; and to explain the rationale behind the move, if it has been set up.

The directions come just about a week after the state government directed Deputy Commissioners to hold monthly meetings to scrap all "under-the-carpet" deals, to redeem shamlat land from encroachers. The three-member tribunal, headed by Supreme Court's former Judge Justice Kuldip Singh, was directed to be constituted on May 29, 2012, to look into land grab cases in Punjab.

The High Court had then set a four-month deadline for the completion of probe. But, at the same time, the High Court had given the tribunal the liberty to seek additional time, after taking into consideration the enormity of the task.

For several months, the Punjab Government "deliberately" kept dragging its feet in the land grab probe by not providing infrastructure to the panel. After strictures and delay of nearly six months, the government provided the panel with necessary infrastructure by fag-end of last year.

In March this year, the panel submitted its first interim report; and said "thousands of acres have either been grabbed or are in process of being grabbed".

The panel submitted its second report in sealed cover onJuly 15; and the same was opened taken on record.

The panel is currently not functional, as it has not been provided extension by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in view of the SLP filed by Punjab Government before the Supreme Court.