SDM allows appeal of land scam victims

In the Palampur land scam case, Subdivisional Magistrate Netra Meti has allowed the appeals of 20 families, who had been dispossessed from 101 kanals of land by land mafia. The SDM set aside the impugned order and also cancelled the mutation, sale deeds of land executed in the favour of six women, who had claimed themselves as legal heirs of Rozna Saraf. The women had further sold the land to some other persons. After hearing the arguments of both parties, the SDM found a number of irregularities in the order of Naib Tehsildar. The Naib Tehsildar had allegedly illegally removed the names of tenants from the columns of ownership as well as tenancy. The SDM announced her decision in favour of the land scam victims, who had been rendered homeless and landless by the land mafia. The order of the SDM has come as a big relief to the land scam victims, who have been spending sleepless nights for the past one month. Most of them were present in the court when the SDM read out the operative part of her order and told the victims that she had ruled in their favour. Talking to The Tribune, the land scam victims said they had been receiving regular threats from the land mafia for the past few days that their houses would be razed if they failed to vacate the disputed land. However, they said they had full faith in the judicial system and finally justice was done with them.

Himachal Tribune