Panchkula: Four HSVP staffers booked 12 yrs after file’s disapperance

Nearly 12 years after a file related to a plot in Sector 2, Urban Estate, went missing, the Sector 7 police station on Monday registered a case against four employees of the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) after a complaint was filed by the estate officer, HSVP, Sector 6, on April 25.

The four HSVP employees, who have been named as accused in the case, are assistants Labh Singh and Jalmed, and record keepers Gurmukh Singh and Randhir. The case has been registered against them under Section 381 (theft by clerk or servant of property in possession of master) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

According to the FIR, the concerned plot file went missing between January 2009 and April 2013. Interestingly, the plot is connected to a corruption case against Colonel BS Goraya (retd), who was found guilty of possessing disproportionate assets by a CBI court in Chandigarh in August 2017.

The case against Goraya was initially registered in August 1990 under the Prevention of Corruption Act. As per the CBI case, between January 1, 1987, and August 8, 1990, Goraya, in his own name and also of his family members, had acquired properties valued at ₹82.6 lakh, of which ₹72.7 lakh were disproportionate to his known income. The plot was among the 13 properties listed by the CBI in its investigation. These properties were located in prime areas across Chandigarh, Panchkula, Mohali, Gurugram, Delhi, and Noida, and included commercial plots, houses, and land. The court’s ruling was under Sections 13(2) and 13(1) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Lack of police action

According to the complaint, the CBI had issued summons to the custodians of the concerned plot file at the HSVP office on April 3, 2013. However, a search for the relevant case file revealed that it was missing. Subsequently, on April 18, 2013, the then estate officer, HSVP, Panchkula, sent a letter to the then SHO of the Sector 5 police station, requesting the registration of an FIR against the employees responsible for keeping and maintaining the file. However, no FIR was filed at that time. The current complaint emphasises this delay in the registration of the FIR.

Petitioner seeking alternative plot

A related case involving the plot is also pending in the high court in which HSVP is a respondent. As per case details, a petitioner claims that she had purchased the plot a few years ago with the approval of the concerned authority, and a no objection certificate (NOC) was also issued. She had also obtained a loan for the purchase. However, when the construction began, she discovered that the property was disputed, leading her to take legal action against HSVP. As per information, the petitioner, who had filed the case against the HSVP in 2022, is seeking an alternative plot. The matter is scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday, and the HSVP has already been notified about the same.