A multi-crore land in Haryana involves discrepancies in the sale months after a stay order was revoked.
Who revoked the stay?
Ambala divisional commissioner Renu Phulia, via a quasi-judicial order on September 13, 2023, vacated a 20-year-old stay on the sale and purchase of a 14-acre land parcel near Panchkula owned by the erstwhile monarch. The officer is said to have decided on the matter within 16 days of filing the petition by former additional chief secretary Shashi Gulati’s brother Prithvi Raj Chhabra.
After the stay was revoked
On March 28, Shashi Gulati and her brother approached revenue officials in Panchkula to register nearly 12 acres of land. Of which, five acres of land were sold to the IAS officer’s husband, S S Phulia, currently the state information commissioner, and son Nilanchal, d, and the remaining land was to be sold to Shubham Juneja for a total value of Rs 5.26 crore. However, according to the officials, the market value of the land is higher than the current deal. Upon discovery of this, the state government stopped registering a piece of land on March 29, 2024.
Action after unusual activity discovered
The Panchkula Deputy Commissioner, Sushil Sarwan, requested guidance from the Additional Chief Secretary and Financial Commissioner Revenue TVSN Prasad. He has restrained registration of transfer deeds in Panchkula tehsil. An inquiry committee consisting of chief secretary TVSN Prasad, TL Satyaprakash as a member, and two revenue department officials—deputy district attorney Sukram Pal, who handles surplus land cases, and former HCS officer RK Garg. The committee will be headed by IAS officer Amneet P Kumar.
About the land
The seven Panchkula villages of Beed Babupur, Beed Firozadi, Bhareli, Sangrana, Barwala, Jaloli, and Fatehpur Viran comprised the approximately 1,396 acres of land that belonged to the late monarch. His legal heirs in the village of Beed Firozadi in Panchkula district sold 14 acres of the land to Shashi Gulati and her family.
