 "An artificial intelligence (AI)-generated image depicting a fighter plane on an airstrip. (Representative Photo)")
A mother and her son have been charged with fraudulently selling an airstrip of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Punjab.
After a whistleblower approached the court, the government initiated an investigation and charged Usha Ansal and her son Naveen Chand of Dumni Wala village in Punjab’s Ferozepur of fraudulently selling the IAF’s airstrip in 1997, according to The Times of India.
The airstrip is located in Fattuwala village near the India-Pakistan border and was commissioned in the World War II. The IAF used it as an advanced landing ground in wars with Pakistan in 1947-48, ‘65, and ‘71.
The matter came to light when a whistleblower, Nishan Singh, raised the matter with the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
After the HC took up the case, the airstrip was handed over to the IAF last month and Usha and Naveen were booked for cheating by personification, dishonestly inducing delivery of property, forgery, and criminal conspiracy, according to the ToI.
How mother-son duo sold the airstrip
The case dates to 1997 and corrective actions were only taken last month.
In 1997, Usha and Naveen joined hands with revenue officials to claim ownership of the land by forging government documents, according to ToI.
After claiming ownership of the land, they sold the land with the airstrip in collusion with revenue officials with the help of forged documents.
These details came to light in the Punjab Vigilance Bureau investigation that was ordered into the matter by the Punjab and Haryana HC based on the Singh’s complaint. The ownership of the land was restored to the IAF last month.
Currently, Deputy Superintendent of Police Karan Sharma is investigating the case against the mother-son duo.
Until the matter reached the High Court, the inaction of government officials was such that the deputy commissioner did nothing even when the Halwara Air Force Station Commandant complained about the airstrip and sought a probe, as per the newspaper.