The Kharar Municipal Council had installed a tubewell at a common vacant land in January 2007. The police officer, however, allegedly raised a wall on the road leading to the tubewell and fenced the adjoining land.

Irked by the issue, the area residents, led by former area municipal councillor Dr Gurnam Singh, approached the local civic body authorities for “protecting its prime land and tubewell”. The residents argued that not only will the civic body be deprived of its prime land worth crores of rupees but will also lose the essential facility of drinking water. After local officials failed to act, Dr Singh moved the Punjab State Human Rights Commission against the accused officer and civic officials.

Taking cognisance of the matter, the PSHRC division bench comprising Justice Baldev Singh and Justice L R Roojam called for a report from the Kharar Municipal Council Executive Officer by Thursday, when the case will again come up for hearing.