Bids to dispossess villagers of land despite court protection
* SSP directed to implement order, file compliance
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 26: Taking serious note of continuous attempts to dispossess some villagers of their land even after absolute protection order, Civil Judge Doda has initiated contempt proceedings against the District Development Commissioner Doda Dr Doifode Sagar Dattatray, Assistant Commissioner Revenue Kaisar Ahmed Bhawani, Divisional Forest Officer Navneet Singh and others.
Moreover, the court has directed the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Doda to take necessary steps to implement the order in its letter and spirit and report compliance within a week.
Sources told EXCELSIOR that with the expansion of Doda town, the ‘land-grabbers’ started keeping an eye on a land situated in Khasra Number 1377/131 Min because of its prime location and accordingly hatched a conspiracy with some officials of the Forest Department to dispossess the occupants of the land.
As part of this conspiracy, the Forest officials started claiming that the land belongs to the department. Accordingly, a detailed report was sought from the Tehsildar concerned, who submitted that no land under the said Khasra Number was entered in the name of the Forest Department and is actually a Shamlat Deh.
“The claims of the Forest Department that the land has been diverted to the private persons by the Revenue Department is completely false and not based on the facts as per the revenue record”, he further mentioned in the report submitted to the Assistant Commissioner Revenue Doda.
Despite explicit report of the Tehsildar, attempts were made after regular intervals to dispossess the occupants of the land and finally they (occupants) knocked the doors of the court by filing a suit.
The Civil Judge Doda vide order dated April 10, 2017 directed the parties to maintain status quo on spot with regard to the suit property bearing Khasra Number 1377/131 Min. Even after this explicit order, there was no end to the attempts to snatch the land from the occupants.
This compelled the applicants to again approach the court through Advocate S A Hashmi to seek implementation of the order passed on April 10, 2017. It was submitted before the court that on July 22, 2020, the defendants again tried to dispossess the applicants from the suit land. “They along with the Deputy Commissioner Doda and Assistant Commissioner Revenue after trespassing demolished the residential house of the applicants despite having knowledge of status quo order, which was later made absolute”, Advocate Hashmi further submitted.
It was prayed before the court that if the implementation order through SSP Doda is not passed the applicants will suffer irreparable loss and the suit will become infructuous as the ‘land grabbers’ in connivance with the senior Government officers were hell bent to dispossess the applicants from the suit land.
Moreover, a contempt petition was also filed on the ground that the act of the senior Government officers amounts to interference in the functioning of the justice delivery system. “By not implementing the order of the court the Government servants are undermining the sanctity of the judicial system”, Advocate Hashmi submitted.
Accordingly, Civil Judge Senior Division Doda Manjeet Singh Manhas vide order dated July 23, 2020 has initiated contempt proceedings against the District Development Commis-sioner, Assistant Commissioner Revenue, Divisional Forest Officer and others.
“The office is directed to issue notice to alleged contemnors so that they shall appear before the court to explain as to why contempt should not be framed against them”, read the order, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR.
Moreover, vide order dated July 24, 2020, the court, in the facts and circumstances of the case and in order to avoid multiplicity of litigation, felt it imperative to protect the suit property. Accordingly, the court has directed the SSP Doda to take necessary steps to implement the order dated April 10, 2017 in its letter and spirit and report compliance within a week.
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