Bedi caught on the wrong foot for pulling down property

Former cricketer Bishen Singh Bedi could be in trouble after his tenant and local resident lodged...

Former cricketer Bishen Singh Bedi could be in trouble after his tenant and local resident lodged a police complaint against him for allegedly demolishing a portion of his ancestral property without prior notice.

However, Bedi claims that a part of the building was demolished only because it was in unsafe condition. In fact, Bedi8217;s dream to settle down in the holy city of Amritsar has turned out to be a bitter experience. He is not only accused of highhandedness while pulling down a portion of the building 8216;illegally8217;, by his tenants, but also of grabbing his late sister8217;s property worth crores.

Bedi, who hails from Amritsar, had been living in Delhi. The house at Putlighar in the heart of Amritsar was registered under the name of his sister, Anupam Sodhi. A regular visitor here, to collect rent from tenants, he used to live with friends.

A part of the ancestral house was rented to Anil Dilawar, who was running a textile unit in its premises. 8220;Yesterday, Bedi8217;s men pulled down the roof of the building. My machinery, worth Rs 20 lakh, became redundant due to his act of highhandedness. This is illegal, as I have already obtained a stay order from the local court, regarding the building8217;s occupancy,8221; said Dilawar, accusing Bedi of grabbing the property forcibly. 8220;When the property is not registered under his name, how can he use force to pull down the roof,8221; he added, accusing Bedi of using his influence in the police and administration to harass him. Dilawar further alleged that the police have not registered his complaint against Bedi.

However, Senior Superintendent of Police, Amritsar, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, said he has ordered a probe into the entire episode. 8220;The tenant has not been able to furnish records regarding his occupancy in the building. We are verifying the facts and if the need arises, a case will be registered,8221; he said.

Bedi, who was himself present when the structure was pulled down, said he had given a number of notices to Dilawar to vacate the building as the structure was in bad shape. 8220;It is a dilapidated structure. The tenant had been asked to vacate the building as the structure could pose a danger to the people living or working inside. But he refused to listen to me. I have got a notice from the Municipal Corporation in this regard. I took a precautionary step by pulling down the structure8221;, said Bedi.

He added that he wanted to settle down here with his family. He admitted that the building was under the name of his sister and her family was settled abroad. 8220;I want to renovate the building, but the tenant is not ready to vacate it,8221; he said, adding that he, too, has filed a case against the tenant in the local court.

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On the other hand, Dilawar accused Bedi of using the absence of his sisters8217; children to grab the property, and added that he had been running the factory in the premises for the last 30 years and could not vacate the building at once.