Five persons were today convicted by a local court for selling a land belonging to an ancient church by fraudulent means. Additional Sessions Judge Rajiv Kalra here on Monday convicted Stiphen Bhatti, Rockus Sandhu, Sat Pal, Parkash Masih and Mohinder Kumar, sentenced them to a jail term of three years and also slapped a fine of Rs25,000 each. However, other three co-accused have been acquitted by the judge giving them benefit of doubt. The verdict came on a complaint of former Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner KAP Sinha.
According to Additional Public Prosecutor Ambika Gupta, Sinha had on January 23, 2003, filed a complaint against Pathankot Tehsildar to Financial Commissioner Revenue, Punjab, for allegedly sanctioning mutation of 116 kanals 9 marlas of land owned by the Government, and cultivated by Amritsar Diocesan Trust Association (ADTA), where a church was also constructed.
According to historians, the church was built in 1872. One Babu Masih Bishop of ADTA had also filed an application in this connection with police. A case was registered against the accused under various Sections of the IPC and Sections 12/13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Gupta said the High Court with its orders dated November 23, 1992, had stayed the sale of property of church situated at Madhopur, Pathankot along with other properties of ADTA. Police said Rockus Sandhu and Stiphen Bhatti had gotten registered a bogus general power of attorney on August 2, 2001. On the basis of the fake attorney, the church property was sold by the accused for a meagre consideration of Rs29,25,000.
