Amritsar, March 3: Many heads may roll in yet another land scam in the city involving senior politicians and top IAS and IPS officers of the state.

Residents of the posh Ranjit Avenue, opposite Red Cross Bhavan, were today shocked to see the felling of the 125-year-old big bohar tree in broad daylight and the demolition of the structure of ‘Mughal Carpets’ to pave way for the construction of a multiplex-cum-hotel on about 10,000 square yards.

The land had been earmarked for residential plots at the prime location.

The felled tree was taken into tractor trailers in hush-hush manner even as the case regarding the prime land is pending in the high court.

The Mayor, Municipal Corporation, Mr Sunil Dutti, was shocked to learn that the penalty of Rs 1.90 crore had already been deposited with the corporation for change of land use without his knowledge though he was chairman of the Land Use Committee.

He said the Commissioner, Corporation, Mr K.S. Kang, and Mr Hemmant Battra, Municipal Town Planner, had bypassed the committee while allowing the penalty to be deposited. He said the matter would be raised in the General House of the corporation proposed to be held on March 13 and suggest strict action against all those involved in the scam.

It is learnt that the Principal Secretary, Local Bodies, Mr B.R. Bajaj, showed a keen interest in the clearing of the file.

Mr Kang could not be contacted since he is away to England. However, Mr Batra said he had been directly instructed by the Principal Secretary, Mr Bajaj, to deposit the land use charges. He claimed that the area was under industry and hence there was no harm in changing the land use.

Mr V.P.S. Bhatia, senior advocate and resident of the colony, said the green belt was being usurped for creating a multiplex. The booklet on Ranjit Avenue showed that the disputed land was meant for residential plots. The map given in the booklet corroborated the allegations.

Mr Naresh Seth, owner of Mughal Carpets (a part of the controversial plot) which he had taken on a 99-year lease from the mahants of Brahm Buta Akhara, had lost the case in the court as the Improvement Trust had already issued notification to acquire the land. He, however, admitted that the purchasers of the controversial land had reached a compromise. But he refused to disclose the names of the big shots who had purchased benami property.

It is learnt that earlier the ‘buyers’ had made several attempts to dispose of the property to real estate promoters and hotel chains in Delhi at a phenomenal Rs 80 crore.

Sources in the Improvement Trust said the land-use of residential area could not be changed by the corporation especially if the case was pending in the court.

However, Mr Jugal Kishore Sharma, Chairman of the Improvement Trust, refused to comment.