Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira has suffered a major political and legal embarrassment after the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed his petition in the Gram Panchayat land encroachment matter and imposed ₹6 lakh costs on him. Hailing the law, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab State Media In-Charge Baltej Pannu said the judgment has exposed the Congress MLA’s arrogance and punctured his repeated attempts to portray himself as a victim of political vendetta.
Referring to the Court proceedings and official records, Baltej Pannu said the case pertained to illegal occupation of a public street / public passage belonging to Gram Panchayat Ramgarh, adding that the Congress leader, who routinely targets political opponents with allegations, now stands exposed himself as a “land mafia sitting over Panchayat land.”
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, AAP Punjab State Media In-charge Baltej Pannu said Sukhpal Singh Khaira had illegally occupied a public street / public passage belonging to Gram Panchayat Ramgarh and created obstruction for villagers. “The High Court record clearly mentions that complaints were received from local residents alleging that a gate had been illegally installed in the public street by Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Kulbir Singh Khaira, obstructing free movement of villagers,” he noted.
Baltej Pannu said official records placed before the Court, including the Measurement Book of Gram Panchayat Ramgarh, reports of the Junior Engineer, SVAMITVA records and satellite imagery, established that the land in question formed part of a public street/public passage constructed by the Gram Panchayat for common public use. “The Court also took note of the fact that the installation of the gate amounted to ‘illegal obstruction and encroachment upon a public passage’ which could obstruct emergency services like ambulances, fire brigade and police vehicles,” he added.
Baltej Pannu said that when government officials and the administration team went to remove the illegal encroachment, Sukhpal Singh Khaira strongly opposed the action by misusing his political influence and created obstacles in the legal proceedings. “But today, the Hon’ble Punjab and Haryana High Court has given a befitting reply to Sukhpal Singh Khaira’s arrogance and illegal conduct,” he added.
Baltej Pannu stated that in an attempt to portray himself as innocent, Sukhpal Singh Khaira had filed a petition before the High Court. However, the Court completely dismissed his petition and imposed exemplary costs of ₹6 lakh upon him.
Baltej Pannu further said the Court made strong observations against misuse of judicial proceedings and noted that the petition had been “artfully and cleverly drafted” to give an impression of violation of Supreme Court directions, whereas the dispute essentially pertained to alleged encroachment over public property. “The Court also observed that contempt jurisdiction cannot be used as a tool for settling political or administrative disputes,” he added.
Adopting a strict stance, the Court ordered that the amount of the fine should be equally distributed among the respondents against whom Sukhpal Singh Khaira had initiated proceedings. The Court also made it clear that if he fails to pay the amount, it would be recovered as arrears of land revenue.
Baltej Pannu said Sukhpal Singh Khaira has a habit of mudslinging against political opponents without facts and misleading people through false remarks on social media. “Today’s verdict of the High Court has proved that Sukhpal Singh Khaira himself was sitting like a land mafia over government land while pointing fingers at others. The Court’s decision has completely exposed and destroyed his bundle of lies,” said Baltej Pannu.