Punjab News/Capt Amarinder's clarification on Justice Kuldeep Singh’s report

Chandigarh, November 15, 2013: Former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today clarified that he had purchased the land in Majrian village in Mohali way back in 1997 like many others as an ordinary citizen as he was neither an MLA nor an MP at that time.
He categorically said, if it is established that those who sold him the land did not have its rightful ownership and it belonged to the government, he was prepared to return it to the government.
He also clarified that he had purchased only 120 kanals of land and not 795 kanals as mentioned in the report published in an English daily today.
Referring to the report, Capt Amarinder asserted that he had purchased the land under due process of law like many others and there was nothing illegal about it nor had he any reason to doubt the ownership of those who sold him the land as they produced all the documents on the basis of which the registration was done after due verification. He said, he had mentioned the land transactions in his Income Tax returns also.
He pointed out, at no stage during the process of registration of the land any questions were raised about the legal ownership of the sellers of the land.
However, he added, if the land transaction is found to be unauthorised or illegal at any stage, he was prepared to return the land to the government.
The former Chief Minister maintained that the land was purchased by him in March/April 1997 when he was neither an MLA nor an MP. He said, the total land he purchased was about 120 kanlas and not 795 kanals as mentioned in the news report.
Giving the break up he said, the first registry was done on March 14, 1997 for 42 kanals and 7 marlas (reg no: 2205), two separate registries were done on April 1, 1997 for 24 kanals and 40 kanals (reg nos: 13 and 15) and another registry was done on April 25 for 13 kanals and 13 marlas.
Capt Amarinder pointed out, as the records show the registries were done under the due process of law in a transparent manner and he had no reason to suspect at that time that the land did not belong to the people from whom he had bought it as they had produced all the documents which were duly verified before the registration.
He said, although he was never asked by the commission to clarify his stand on the matter, Capt Amarinder however, reiterated, if Justice Kuldeep Singh has found that the transactions and the registrations were illegal and if it is established so that the land did not belong to the people who sold it to him and was actually the government land, as a law abiding citizen of the country he will return the land to the government.