ribune News Service,Amritsar, December 27

Though the Punjab and Haryana High Court has pointed out that the Army cannot forcibly take possession of any property occupied by the civilians located in the cantonment area, the Army is allegedly not vacating Kothi No. 4, a residential bungalow near Sadar Bazaar.This was stated by Vishesh Samra, who claims to have the ownership rights of the said property, along with Jugal Kishore. “This court has no doubt that if the petitioner is to be evicted, the respondents (the Union of India and others) shall proceed in accordance with the law, not forcibly specifically in view of the civil court judgement,” observed the High Court while disposing off the writ petition on December 19, which was filed by Samra.The disputed property is at present in the possession of several families, who have been living there for the past three decades. The residents of the area are facing threat of getting displaced from their homes.Earlier this month, the Army authorities pasted a notice (sans any signature) of vacating the property and deputed its jawans on a portion of the disputed site used for running a private school. The school was shifted to its new building recently. Samra and Jugal Kishore resisted the attempt and lodged a complaint with the police in this regard. The families living in the area also approached the National SC Commission for seeking its intervention in the matter.Samra alleged that as the Army officials were not taking the copy of the High Court orders, he was going to lodge a complaint regarding contempt of the court. He said he would also be going to the police authorities for registering a case for alleged illegal trespass. “I will also approach the local court for the same,” he added.Meanwhile, Naresh Vig, public relation officer of the Army authorities, could not be contacted even after repeated attempts.