Himachal Chester Hill Dispute: No FIR even after 10 days, matter heats up

April 3, 2026

Shimla: The controversy surrounding the Chester Hill-2 and Chester Hill-4 projects in Himachal Pradesh continues to escalate. High Court advocate Vinay Sharma filed a complaint against Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta at the Chhota Shimla police station on March 24, but even after 10 days, the police have not registered an FIR. Now, the Shimla police are going to forward this complaint to the state government, after which a final decision will be taken on the FIR.

Preparing to approach the High Court
Vinay Sharma says that he had demanded an FIR based on the investigation report of SDM Solan in the alleged land scam worth approximately ₹1500 crore, but no action was taken. Disgruntled by the police’s attitude, he is now preparing to challenge the case in the High Court.

Political pressure increases
The matter has also taken a political turn. The CPI(M) has made serious allegations against the Chief Secretary, demanding his removal from office and an SIT investigation. They have also warned that if their demands are not met, they will surround the Secretariat. The BJP has also demanded the removal of Sanjay Gupta from his post, increasing pressure on the government.

What is the whole matter?

Allegations of irregularities in the purchase of approximately 275 bighas of land for the Chester Hill Project in Solan district. The allegation is that this land was purchased anonymously for outsiders, violating Section 118 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972. An investigation by the Solan SDM also revealed signs of irregularities, leading to further action.

Statements from the Government and Officials

The issue was also raised in the Legislative Assembly, where the opposition demanded action. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu called it a dispute between officials. Sanjay Gupta, meanwhile, accused two former Chief Secretaries of defaming him, calling the allegations a conspiracy.