Land Scam Unveiled: Ambala Divisional Commissioner Cancels 21-Year-Old Land Deal

In a shocking revelation, Ambala Divisional Commissioner IAS Renu Phulia has annulled a 21-year-old land deal in Panchkula, Haryana. The cancellation follows the purchase of the land, valued in crores, by the husband and son of a senior bureaucrat. Consequently, Chief Minister Nayab Saini has instituted a committee to investigate the matter. Renu Phulia's husband, Satyaveer Singh Phulia, currently serves as the State Information Commissioner.

The committee comprises two senior IAS officers. Heading the investigation committee is IAS Amaneet P. Kumar, with IAS officer T.L. Satyaprakash as a member. Additionally, Sukh Ram, the Deputy District Attorney (DDA) responsible for surplus land issues, and retired HCS officer R.K. Garg, specialising in revenue matters, will assist in the probe. 

The case involves approximately 1396 acres of land across seven villages in Panchkula, initially owned by Raja Bhagwant Singh. During 2002, former IAS Sunil Gulati purportedly purchased 14 acres of this land in his and his sister's names. However, in 2003, the then Collector Agrarian imposed a stay on the land, preventing its transfer. Consequently, the land deal remained incomplete. 

The sequence of events unfolded as the process of land acquisition began in June 2023. Documents prepared for the registry between June 20th and 22nd, 2023, revealed the sale of 24 acres of land to the Phulia family for significant sums. However, suspicions arose over the intention to lift the stay and transfer the land to the husband-son duo after.

The matter caught the attention of the Chief Secretary and FCR's T.V.S.N. Prasad, who promptly issued a notice to the Panchkula Deputy Commissioner on March 29th, 2024, directing against the registry of the land. The deal, initially valued at 11 crores, is now under scrutiny, given its market rate's purported worth in hundreds of crores.

According to Revenue and Disaster Management Department sources, over 1400 acres of surplus land in Panchkula district are under disputed possession by various individuals, including retired and serving IAS officers.