Encroachment on this ₹100 Crore Land in Ludhiana; High Court takes Strict Stance

April 6, 2026

Ludhiana: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has taken a stern stance regarding the alleged encroachment on a valuable 6-acre parcel of police land situated opposite the railway station in Ludhiana.

The Court has directed the State Government to file an updated affidavit detailing the actions taken to remove the encroachments and the current status of the pending civil cases related to the matter.

During the hearing of the Public Interest Litigation (PIL), the Court instructed the State Counsel to place on record the latest information regarding the progress achieved in the case thus far. The next hearing for the case has been scheduled for April 23, 2026.

Case Involves Land in a Prime Location
This case concerns a prime piece of land within the city, valued at approximately ₹100 crore. It is reported that this land was formerly utilized for police residential quarters and stables; however, it was vacated in the 1950s following the relocation of the police establishment to Civil Lines.

Since that time, the land has allegedly been encroached upon by various individuals, reportedly including several influential figures.

Police Filed Affidavit Detailing Encroachments in May 2024
Earlier, in May 2024, the Police Department filed an affidavit in the High Court providing details regarding the encroachments. The affidavit stated that an old map prepared by the Public Works Department (PWD) confirms the land’s status as government property and asserts that it should be classified as “public premises.”

Furthermore, it was stated that once a new map is prepared by the Commissionerate Police, all encroachments will be identified, and appropriate action will be initiated under the Punjab Public Premises Act, 1971.

This matter was brought before the Court in 2019 through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Subhash Kundra (alias ‘Ketty’), a hosiery businessman. The petition alleged that, despite repeated complaints, the administration had failed to take any concrete action.

Meanwhile, a previous inquiry by the SDM (East) revealed that this land falls under the ‘Red Line’ category and that its ownership status is not clearly recorded in the revenue records. The petitioner contends that this land should either be handed back to the Police Department or be taken into government custody for utilization in public interest projects.

Furthermore, the petitioner has raised questions regarding the administration’s inaction and the misuse of this vital urban asset.