JAMMU: Police on Thursday raided a banquet hall in the outskirts of Udheywala, allegedly constructed illegally over land owned by Jammu Development Authority. A case has been registered and investigations set in motion.
Seizure of the banquet hall inspected tomorrow.
Sources told STATE TIMES that the banquet hall has come up illegally over 7 kanals of government land in the area with active connivance of government officials.
The banquet hall has been operational for the past one year. The construction site has remained mired in controversy since murder of a Deputy Advocate General Ajit Dogra, who was shot dead on 19th January 2008. Reportedly, Gaurav Sharma, a property dealer was involved in the murder while deal was going on over this piece of land.
A police party from Domana area conducted the raid and found that the banquet hall under name and style Shiva Bangla Pitambar Ashram and owned by one Sham Lal Verma, son of Charan Dass has been running without permission in connivance with JDA, Revenue and JMC officials, police said. A high tension pole number 21 is also inside the banquet hall. The owner has covered the entire Khad land in the immediate vicinity. Interestingly, nobody from the JDA, Revenue or JMC ever bothered to initiate action.
SP Jammu Rural M.L Kaith along with SHO Domana Jai Pal Sharma conducted the raid after the report of encroachment in the area. The police also got active while assessment of the damages caused by the floods and heavy rains was undertaken by various agencies.
FIR 361/14 has been registered under sections 447-A, 430, 3 damage to property act and 120B.
Here it is relevant to mention here that most of the banquet halls operational in Jammu are illegal. Despite Court directions, none of them adhere to the norms as laid down under rules.
In Talab Tillo area, one of the banquet hall owned by a politician is also running illegally.
