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CBI raids on Punjab bureaucrats

Staff Correspondent

Amarinder resents action, says they are "among the finest officers''

The Forest Hill Resort club at Karoran village in Ropar

CHANDIGARH: Expressing his strong reservations at the manner in which the Central Bureau of Investigation conducted raids on the offices and residences of two senior IAS and two Indian Forest Services (IFS) officers on Thursday, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has said that he will take up the matter with the Union Government.

Following an order from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which entrusted it with investigations into alleged violations in the construction of a resort by a private company, the CBI carried out raids on official and residential premises of Punjab's Secretary for Industries, S.C. Aggarwal, Secretary for Panchayats and Rural Development, K.B.S. Sidhu, Divisional Forest Officers Harsh Kumar and J.S. Sumandari and the owner of the resort, B.S. Sandhu.

Capt. Singh said the CBI neither informed him nor the Chief Secretary before carrying out the raids, which he described as unfortunate and avoidable. Describing both Mr. Aggarwal and Mr. Sidhu as "among the finest officers'' in the State, he expressed fear that the CBI action would adversely affect the functioning of the Government. "If they are constantly faced with such fears, who is going to take decisions for Punjab?'' he asked.

The high-profile case hogged the limelight when about a year ago the High Court, while ruling that the Forest Hill Resort was constructed in violation of law by breaching the Act for protection of forest land, had ordered its demolition and directed the CBI to conduct a probe.

The resort, which provided an international level golf course, had come up in Karoran village in Ropar district, 4 km from the Punjab and Haryana civil secretariat.

The High Court decision had created ripples, including a large number of judges going on mass leave in protest.

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CBI raids on Punjab bureaucrats

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