SHAHKOT
The Shahkot police have booked many people on charges of encroaching on new grain market land in Shahkot.
Tejindar Kumar, Secretary, Market Committee, Shahkot, in an official communication to the police, said theShahkot market committee (MC)has obtained possession of land measuring 30 acres,4 Kanals, and 12 Marla situated in Kotli Gajran village for the construction of a new grain market last week.He said former landowners, in cooperation with the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, on July 20, forcibly ploughed the land acquired for the construction of a new grain market
The committee secretary said in his communication that they sowed seeds of some crops and planted paddyin the land of the new grain market, destroyed the land demarcation pillars and flex boards, and stole barbed wire and illegally encroached land of the Mandi Board and thus, interfered with government duty.
It is pertinent to mention that the Punjab Government had acquired land in 2011 for a new grain market owned by 30 farmers. Some farmers, including Gurnam Singh and others, had filed a civil writ petition against the government order in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which was dismissed, and farmers filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court of India.
The Supreme Court, in its order on July 31, 2024, dismissed the appeal and said the government has taken a conscious decision for the acquisition of land culminating in a declaration under section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act 1894.
The Shahkot market committee began possession proceedings, which were completed on July 15 in the presence of heavy police arrangements and without any
Investigating Officer Buta Ram said a case under sections 218weapons)ce to the taking of property by the lawful authority of a public servant), 221(obstructing a public servant in the discharge of public functions) 329 (criminal trespass), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy ) 324 326(€)( mischief by destroying or moving land mark fixed by public authority ),303(theft), 191(2) 191(3) (rioting being armed with deadly weapons ) on the BNS and sections 3,4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public property and Prive property Acts has been registered against the accused.