Punjab: Naib Tehsildar Terminated Over Land Fraud

Chandigarh, Feb 26 (NationPress) The Punjab Additional Chief Secretary, Anurag Verma, has taken decisive action by dismissing Naib Tehsildar Varinderpal Singh Dhoot for the unlawful approval of the mutation of shamlat (common village) land in Kharar tehsil, benefiting private parties.

This decision follows a comprehensive investigation that determined Dhoot's infringement of the Punjab Village Common Lands Act, 1961, as stated in an official announcement on Wednesday.

The inquiry disclosed that while serving as Naib Tehsildar in Majri in Mohali, Dhoot sanctioned mutation number 1767 on September 28, 2016, which involved the transfer of ownership of 10,365 kanals and 19 marlas of shamlat land in Seonk village to private individuals.

Furthermore, the investigation indicated that this action was taken despite explicit directives issued by the Revenue Department and a landmark Supreme Court ruling in the Jagpal Singh vs. State of Punjab case (2011), which prohibits the transfer or mutation of shamlat land to private entities.

The report from retired Additional District and Sessions Judge B.R. Bansal emphasized that Dhoot not only sanctioned the mutation illegally but also tampered with the shares of khewatdars or occupants by altering their shares without appropriate verification.

In certain instances, individuals lacking legitimate claims to the land were wrongfully included as shareholders. “The government maintains a zero-tolerance stance towards such misconduct. In light of these findings, I, as the competent authority, have decided to terminate the services of Varinderpal Singh Dhoot, Naib Tehsildar (suspended), under Rule 5 of the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 1970,” stated the dismissal order signed by Anurag Verma, labeling Dhoot's actions as “malafide.”

This development follows closely after Verma's warning to all Deputy Commissioners regarding corruption and delays in the registration of plots without no-objection certificates (NOCs).

This warning was issued in response to reports of corruption and delays from various regions in the state concerning the registration of plots without NOCs, despite the government notification released in November 2024.

Previously, Verma had suspended Tehsildar Ranjit Singh for fraudulently registering property deeds in Jagraon while working from the Ludhiana East tehsil office.

The report revealed that Ranjit Singh registered documents at 5.12 pm and, within four minutes, registered another in Ludhiana East at 5.16 pm, which is practically impossible.

In a further effort to promote transparency and combat corruption through technological advancements, the Additional Chief Secretary has mandated the installation of four closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at every sub-registrar and joint sub-registrar office throughout the state.

Additionally, all Deputy Commissioners have been instructed to access the CCTV feeds and perform random checks of live footage to ensure that sub-registrars and joint sub-registrars are present in their offices, thereby preventing residents from facing undue delays or challenges in their transactions.