The main case is also to come up for hearing on the same day before a division bench headed by the Chief Justice, Vijender Kumar Jain.

On the last date of hearing, the Chief Justice had sought a status report from police as to what action had been taken against the accused in the nine-year-old FIR.

What was unusual was that the application seeking the quashing of the FIR had been filed by a witness in the case, Randhir Sood, a resident of Mohali. Several VVIPS, including the son of former Punjab Governor Lt General B K N Chhibber, Sonam Kumar Chhibber, had been named in the case for grabbing shamlat (common land) of Kansal village. The compromise produced on record has been signed by the witness.

Witness Randhir Sood has sought the quashing of the FIR which comprises not only compoundable offences like cheating but also non-compoundable offences like forgery and criminal conspiracy.

The High Court had also raised eyebrows over police laxity and inaction in resending the specimen signatures of Puran Singh for testing when a report with regard to his signatures was already on record.

Puran Singh, a resident of village Kansal, had got an FIR registered against Sonum Kumar, Darshan Singh, naib tehsildar, Majri and Randhir Sood, a property dealer, for forging Puran Singh's signatures on a General Power of Attorney, Will, and Sale Agreement favouring Sonum Kumar and pertaining to the land owned by Puran Singh at village Kansal.

In 2005, when police failed to initiate any action against the accused for close to six years, Puran Singh filed a petition before the High Court seeking directions to police authorities to conclude investigation within fixed period.

The court directed police to file its report within three months before the magistrate concerned.