Land grab case: Cong secy Asha Kumari found guilty; jailed for 1 yr

26 February, Shimla

Congress Secretary Asha Kumari was Thursday found guilty in a 1998 land grab case and sent in jail for one year by a local court.Special Judge of Chamba Division P D Goel, pronouncing judgement in an open court, also found guilty six others and sent them in jail for three to seven years under the Indian Penal Code.

The convicts were charged on five counts in the case.The case related to 1998 when a complaint was filed against sitting MLA Asha and her husband late Brijender Singh by revenue officials.

The complaint was lodged by one Kuldeep Singh — a Dalhousie-based former municipal councillor.The complainant alleged Asha and her husband in connivance with revenue department officials, manipulated revenue records, forged documents and got 67.3 bighas belonging to the government transferred in Brijender’s name.

During the 1998 Dhumal rule, a vigilance probe was ordered and an FIR was filed against the couple and accomplice revenue officials on charges of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy.