Sealed by AIT, shops of Sidhu PA broke open

AMRITSAR : Three days after the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) took possession of two of the shops illegally occupied by the personal assistant (PA) of Navjot Singh Sidhu, AIT on Friday found that the locks of the shops were broke open and their seals removed.

The Ait-owned shops, located at Ranjit Avenue, were taken on a lease by Navjeet Kaur, wife of Sidhu’s PA Gourav Kumar on November 25, 2011.

The lease of the shops was cancelled as it did not fulfill the conditions of the AIT’S agreement. Despite cancellation, Navjeet further sub-leased the property to one Rohit Bansal, without consulting the AIT. Bansal was running an icecream parlour in the shops.

High drama prevailed when AIT chairman Dinesh Bassi along with Mandeep Singh Manna, former Congress leader and social crusader, and other officials of the AIT reached the spot to take stock of the situation.

“Mandeep complained to the AIT about the shops being broke open. Kaur and Bansal wanted to show to high court that they hold possession of the shops and they are still legal,” said Bassi, adding that the shops are illegally encroached by Kaur and Bansal.

“We had already written a letter to the commissioner of police and the inquiry is under progress. We had again sealed the shops today and have put a notice on the door of the shops reading the shops have been vacated by the AIT,” Bassi added.

Blaming Bansal, Mann said, “Bansal has illegally occupied many shops in the city, including some in Nehru Shopping Complex. He and Sidhu’s PA are taking advantage of the political clout to encroach upon the shops in the city. Police should immediately take action against them.”