Tribune News Service

Faridabad, May 15

The authorities yesterday pulled down about 16 shops belonging to kin of the Republican Party of India (RPI) MLA and convener of the Haryana Nirman Morcha, Mr Karan Singh Dalal, at Palwal town. While this has been resented by the family members of Mr Dalal, the authorities have described it as an action against illegal possession of the market committee land.

According to official sources, these shops belonged to Mr Mehar Chand Dalal, a brother of Mr Karan Singh Dalal and some of his other relatives and had been constructed about 19 years ago. It is alleged that they had unauthorisedly constructed 15 shops on the prime land of the market committee and had given those on rent. The demolition of the shops was carried out at about 5.30 p.m. yesterday, after the SDM, exercising the powers of the Collector ordered these shops to be evacuated. A heavy police force was present at the scene. The authorities claimed to have given ample opportunities to these persons to prove their ownership. A family member of Mr Karan Singh Dalal alleged that the demolition of the shops was illegal.

He said a case in that regard was still pending in a local court and they had been given a stay order in this regard. He alleged all this was a part of political vendetta unleashed by the Chief Minister. He said this would not prevent Mr Dalal, from ‘exposing’ the government’s misdeeds. He claimed that these shops were constructed in the year 1964 and they had valid documents for the ownership of land as it was purchased in an open auction. He said no notice was given and demolition was done abruptly.