SGPC land dispute in Mansa village: Wheat crop on 93 acres harvested under police security

As the Punjab and Haryana court ordered the district administration to deposit the crop harvest on 93 acres of land with the registrar of the court, last month, the harvesting on the disputed land was done under heavy police security on Monday afternoon in Kotdharmu village.

The dispute between the SGPC and local villagers is over the ownership of 98 acres of land which also includes the historic gurdwara of Soolisar Sahib in Kotdharmu village.

The case over the possession of land was initially filed in 1999 in Punjab and Haryana high court by around 22 villagers (read appellants) against the SGPC. In 2015, a task force sent by the SGPC allegedly grabbed the land due to which the district administration is facing a contempt of court proceedings in the high court. Since then the SGPC has been cultivating on the disputed land.

In an order passed in February this year the high court had ordered the restoration of the possession in favour of the appellants and had said that SGPC had unlawfully obtained the disputed property. Later in the same month the SGPC filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court, which while disposing the petition, directed the high court to deposit certain amount from the villagers before giving them posession. Following the Supreme Court orders, on March 09 the high court has asked the appellants to deposit 35 lacs each year with the registrar of the court. It had also ordered the state government to retrieve and restore the possession in favour of appellants and the harvested crop to be received by the deputy commissioner. Sub divisional magistrate of Mansa, Kala Ram Kansal said that the harvesting was done under police security and the possession will be given to the appellants after they deposit the sum of 35 lacs as mentioned in the order.

“The appellants have been asked to deposit to 35 lacs by putting the land on lease for cultivation. The amount has to be deposited every year till the case is disposed off. As per the orders the physical possession has to be given to the appellants before May 15 after they deposit the said amount,” he said.