Himachal begins probe into Prashant Bhushan's land deal

After taking back possession of a prime land allotted to yoga guru Baba Ramdev for alleged violations of statutory provisions, Himachal Pradesh has begun another probe into permission granted to lawyer Prashant Bhushan to purchase land in the state, a minister said here Friday.

"As on the face of it, the permission granted to Prashant Bhushan is questionable. We have sent 11 queries to the deputy commissioner concerned," Revenue Minister Kaul Singh told reporters here.

He said the government would act on the basis of the deputy commissioner's report.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Bhushan's Kumud Bhushan Educational Society was allowed to purchase 4.68 hectare land meant for a tea plantation by the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

According to the state's laws, land-use of a tea garden could not be changed as these are exempted under the ceiling act.

It was alleged that the land, worth several crores of rupees in Palampur in Kangra district, was given to the educational society for just a few lakh rupees.

The minister said the government in fact has decided to probe all land deals, where it suspects that there is a violation of Section 118 of the Land Reforms and Tenancy Act and Land Ceiling Act during the BJP regime.

The sale deed of the land in Palampur, some 250 km from here, was registered by Bhushan's educational society in March 2010. - IANS