Patiala Court Orders Seizure Of Civic Body's Office, Car, ACs To Pay Dead Man's Dues

Last Updated:July 12, 2025, 18:48 IST

The court stated that the Municipal Corporation must pay the pending dues or face confiscation of its properties to recover the Rs 3.2 lakh owed to the employee's family

The court's final warning issued on July 2 was ignored by the corporation, leading to the current confiscation order. (Representative/News18 Hindi)

A local court in Patiala has ordered the confiscation of the Municipal Corporation’s office property due to unpaid dues owed to the family of a deceased fourth-class employee. The family is owed Rs 3.2 lakh, yet the corporation has been harassing them instead of paying the amount.

In response, the court ordered the confiscation of office property, including the Civic Commissioner’s official car and furniture, computers, printers, fans, and air conditioners. The items listed for confiscation include 20 fans, 30 chairs, four coolers, three ACs, 10 cupboards, five tables, four computers, and three printers.

The court has directed the investigating agency to execute this order by July 23, with the next hearing scheduled for July 27.

The court clearly stated that the Municipal Corporation must either pay the dues or face the confiscation and auctioning of its properties to settle the debt.

The court noted that Varinderjit Singh retired in 2018 from the same post he was appointed to, without ever receiving a promotion. The order was issued by the Civil Judge (Junior Division) of Patiala. Advocate Puneet Sharma, representing the petitioner, stated that Varinderjit Singh had joined the Municipal Corporation in 2000 but was dismissed in 2001 due to a pending case. He then fought a long legal battle to secure his reinstatement.

Singh was reinstated in 2017 following a favourable ruling from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which also ordered the corporation to pay him with interest for the period he was removed from service.

The corporation challenged the High Court’s decision in the Supreme Court, but its appeal was rejected, and it was directed to reinstate Singh. His lawyer argued that Singh was denied promotions and other service benefits, forcing him to retire in 2018 from the same post he was originally appointed to. After his death in 2021, his adopted son, Samanjot Singh, had to continue the struggle to recover the pending dues.​

Despite these orders, the corporation only made a partial payment of Rs 60,485, leaving over Rs 3.2 lakh unpaid. Varinderjit Singh retired in 2018 without receiving any promotions or benefits and passed away in 2021, leaving his adopted son Samanjot Singh to continue fighting for the dues.

The court’s final warning issued on July 2 was ignored by the corporation, leading to the current confiscation order. Advocate Puneet Sharma, representing the petitioner’s family, highlighted that this decision sends a strong message to government bodies about the serious consequences of violating court orders.

Municipal Commissioner Paramveer Singh commented that their legal team is investigating the matter, noting that the court issued a confiscation warrant rather than directly confiscating the property.

Location :

Patiala, India, India

First Published:

News india Patiala Court Orders Seizure Of Civic Body's Office, Car, ACs To Pay Dead Man's Dues