Vikas faces more troubles in Ludhiana bar land grab case

Friday, 04/01/2013

http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=59150&boxid=58330&uid=&dat=2013-01-04

Chandigarh : There is more trouble brewing for the suspended IAS officer Vikas Garg as the preliminary findings into the sequence of events that facilitated the construction of controversial restro bar ‘The Hub’ on a disputed land in Ludhiana have pointed fingers at the officer and his subordinates in revenue department during his tenure as Ludhiana Deputy commissioner.

The Garg’s role, say sources, has come under scanner for one of his decisions to “revoke” one of his own previous order that had conferred the property ownership with the complainant NRI Hardial Singh Hundal and thus facilitated the foundation of the Resto Bar by demolishing an old disputed house. “The compilation of the official records point out that on basis of a fact finding report submitted by the then SDM, who had indicted Sunny Goodwill Johar of trying to grab the land, DC Vikas Garg had conferred the rights of disputed property with Hundal in 2009 but a year later revoked the same orders on basis of a compromise deed which carried fake signatures of the NRI’s brother thus enabling the DC to reconsider his decision,” a senior government official attached with probe told Daily Post.

Days after the expelled Youth Akali Dal leader Sunny Johar and three others were arrested for assaulting AIG Surinderjit Singh Mand, who sustained leg fracture during “hotel brawl”, the NRI Hundal had come out publicly accusing officials in district administration as well as civic body of patronizing “wrong deeds’ of Sunny. The suspended IAS officer Garg , who could not be contacted for his comments, is already facing an FIR in infamous Patiala land scandal. A probe by Punjab Vigilance Bureau had indicted Garg for “scandalous” deal of a land in Patiala during his tenure as DC Patiala and following the VB report Punjab CM had ordered registration of an FIR against IAS officer.

It is learnt that during the compilation of official records pertaining to land dispute it had come to light that at one point of time even the Ludhiana police had cast aspirations on the role played by Sunny Goodwill in land dispute between the NRI and other faction. In the year 2010, said sources, when the then area SHO inspector Sandeep Vadhera had acted against the faction supported by Sunny Goodwill, the latter had visited the police officer at police station and had publicly scolded the investigating officer Desh Raj.