HC notice to Namdhari sect head

LUDHIANA: The Punjab and Haryana high court has issued a notice to Thakur Uday Singh, the head of the Namdhari sect, over a land grab case that Bhaini Sahib resident Lakhwinder Kaur, 37, her husband, Satwinderpal Singh, 43 and their daughter Sant Kaur have filed against him. A notice of motion has also been issued to the Ludhiana police commissioner after the family alleged that the police failed to take action in the case. The next hearing in the case is on December 13.

Lakhwinder Kaur has claimed her family had served Satguru Jagjit Singh, the former head of sect, and he had transferred ownership of a plot in Bhaini Sahib village in 2000 and a shop in Katani Kalan village in 2002 to them.

“After the death of Satguru Jagjit Singh, the sect head Uday with the help of other people, tried to dispossess us from the shop in 2011,” she alleged, adding that she had filed a complaint against Uday and others in a local court, in which he was summoned. She had also filed a civil suit against Uday and both cases are pending for final adjudication.

She alleged that on January 16 this year, Uday, along with others, took illegal possession of her house. “The police did not take action even after repeated complaints,” she claimed, adding that she wanted security.

Thakur Uday Singh could not be contacted as he is out of the country. Lakhbir Singh Baddowal, spokesperson, refuted the allegations. He added that the land at Katani Kalan was never vacated by the Satguru ji (Thakur Uday Singh).

“The government has acquired the land for widening the road. The land in Bhaini Sahib is still in possession of the family,” he added.