A Division Bench of the High Court on Tuesday directed the government to verify the "gift deed" of 1987 between former Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta and one Yograj Singh.
In a major development, a Division Bench of the High Court comprising its Chief Justice N. Kotiswar Singh and Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi directed Sr. AAG, S.S. Nanda appearing for Estates Department to file a response to the averments made in a fresh application (CM No.7532/2023) filed by Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed for placing on record a "Gift Deed" of a residential house dated August 10, 1987, made in favour of ex-Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta executed by one Yograj Singh son of Waryam Singh of Sarwal, Jammu at present Janipur, Jammu which was registered by the Sub-Registrar (City), Jammu on August 11, 1987.
The DB after hearing both parties directed Sr AAGs to ascertain the correctness of the persons, if necessary, namely Kavinder Gupta and Yograj Singh in terms of the order dated September 13, 2023.
During the hearing on the case regarding the eviction of ex-ministers and ex-legislators from government accommodations, it was mentioned that the former Deputy Chief Minister doesn't own any house so he was allotted government accommodation.
Ex-Dy CM owns a house, claims advocate
Advocate S.S. Ahmed vociferously argued that one Yograj Singh executed a Gift Deed of a house situated at Janipur Jammu in favour of Ex-Deputy CM J&K, Kavinder Gupta S/o Bindraban Gupta on August 10, 1987, and the said Gift Deed was registered on August 11, 1987, and since August 10, 1987 Kavinder Gupta is the owner of the said house.
He further pointed out that the ex-Deputy CM has been illegally staying in a Ministerial Bungalow Special 4-A Gandhi Nagar, Jammu and the allotment made in his favour by the Estates Department is required to be canceled as he owns his own residential house in Jammu.
Looking into the importance of the matter, the Division Bench directed the Registry to list PIL No.17/2020 along with connected applications for consideration on February 28, 2024.
Earlier Court sought details of politicians having personal accommodation
Earlier in September this year, the High Court directed the authorities to furnish a list of those persons who possess houses in Jammu or Srinagar.
The Estates Department in its status report dated March 28, 2023, had given a list of 48 politicians who were allowed to utilize Government Accommodation/ Ministerial Bungalows in Jammu and Srinagar cities.
These directions were passed in the much-publicized Public Interest Litigation highlighting unauthorized retention of Ministerial Bungalows/A-Type Kothies/Flats/Quarters at Jammu/Srinagar by ex-Ministers/Ex-MLAs/Ex-MLCs. The PIL further seeks appropriate directions to the Estates Department to ensure the eviction of the illegal occupants from the Government accommodation in view of the dissolution of the then State Assembly in June 2018.
From the compliance report dated March 28, 2023, Advocate S.S. Ahmed in the open court read the names of 48 politicians who are occupying government accommodations in Jammu and Srinagar. Prominent among those politicians are:
• Ghulam Nabi Azad (Former CM).
• Shamsher Singh Manhas (Ex-MP).
• Muzaffar Hussain Beigh (Ex-MP).
• Chander Mohan Gupta (Former Mayor JMC).
• Kavinder Gupta (Former Deputy CM).
• Sunil Sharma (Former Minister).
• Ravinder Raina (State President BJP).
• G M Saroori (Ex-MLA).
• Neelam Langeh (Ex-MLA).
• Daleep Singh Parihar (Ex-MLA).
• Bali Bhagat (Former Minister).
• Sat Sharma (Former Minister).
• Ravinder Sharma (Ex-MLC).
• Shilpy Verma (Political Person).
• Sajjad Gani Lone (Ex-MLA).
• Hakim Mohd Yaseen (Ex-MLA).
• Sofi Yousaf (Ex-MLC).
• Abdul Majid Paddar (Ex-MLA).
• Vikram Randhawa (Ex-MLC).
• Mohd Amin Bhat (Ex-MLA).
• Zafar Iqbal Manhas (Ex-MLC).
Before the conclusion of the hearing, Advocate S.S. Ahmed apprised the Division Bench that four political persons namely ex-MP Shamsher Singh Manhas, ex-Minister Bali Bhagat, and ex-Mayor of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) Chander Mohan Gupta have been evicted from the government accommodation in Jammu whereas former Finance Minister A.R. Rather has already vacated the government accommodation more than a year back.
