The court almost directed the Director of the CBI to be present on the next date of appearance, however, after the Punjab Law Officer pleaded for an adjournment and explained that he had not received a copy of the counter affidavit, the court did not pass any such order.

However, taking strong note of the laxity on the part of revenue authorities in furnishing the desired information, the Chief Justice ordered impleadment of Union of India through Additional Solicitor General as one of the respondents to the petition.

The residents of Kansal village today filed a counter affidavit in the High Court highlighting the contradictions in the various affidavits filed by the Deputy Commissioner, Mohali. This was in pursuant to the affidavit, dated September 7, filed by Deputy Commissioner Mohali, in the ongoing hearing of a PIL pertaining to grabbing of village common land by VVIP’s in Chandigarh’s periphery.

The Kansal residents, in the said counter affidavit, have alleged that the information furnished by the Deputy Commissioner was vague and was an attempt to obfuscate the illegalities of the land mafia operated by top politicians, bureaucrats and senior police officials. The affidavit pointed out that the affidavit filed by the Deputy Commissioner had failed to reveal the fact as to how in the first place, the names of VVIP’s were entered in the revenue records granting them ownership of village common land though they were not khewatdars/residents of Kansal village. Furthermore, the DC’s affidavit has failed to reveal as to how land was registered and mutated in favour of VVIP’s prior to November 25, 1999, when the said land vested in the gram panchayat of the village.

The Kansal residents, while praying for a CBI inquiry into the scam, have highlighted variations in various affidavits filed by the Deputy Commissioner in the ongoing PIL. The previous affidavits never disclosed the identity of Sonam Kumar being the son of former Governor Lt Gen B K N Chhibber, however, in the recent affidavit Sonam’s identity is clearly revealed. The said Sonam Kumar claims to have never owned any land in Kansal village. However, Parminder Singh Pinky, General Secretary of Punjab Pradesh Congress, claims to have purchased 32 kanals of the said land in his wife’s name from Sonam Kumar. The Kansal residents pointed out that the VVIP’s did not disclose their true identity in the revenue records. They said that all the VVIP’s though resided in Chandigarh at the time of the alleged sale deeds of the said property, they gave some other addresses. Sonam Kumar is stated to be the son of Krishan Nath, a resident of Ferozepur Cantt, whereas Sonam Kumar at that time was residing in Punjab Raj Bhawan at Chandigarh.