IAF strip, used in 3 wars, secretly ‘sold off’ using fake papers

FEROZEPUR: There’s crookery. Then there’s crookery with ambition. What would have been a flight of fancy for most practionists of this art was clandestinely turned into reality by a mother-son duo in Punjab’s Ferozepur sometime in 1997.A World War-II era airstrip, used by Indian Air Force during the 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars as an advanced landing ground, was allegedly sold off by a mother and son in 1997 in connivance with some revenue officials. Now, 28 years later, accused Usha Ansal and her son Naveen Chand have been named in an FIR.The Punjab and Haryana high court had ordered Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) chief director to probe the allegation, and the report, filed on June 20, has led to the FIR.

The case has been registered under IPC Sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record), and 120B (criminal conspiracy).

DSP Karan Sharma is heading the investigation to identify all those involved in this long-concealed scam involving strategic defence land.

The airstrip is in Fattuwala village, very close to Pakistan border. It was only in May 2025, after HC intervention, that the land was finally restored to ministry of defence.The VB inquiry confirmed that the land belongs to IAF. Acquired on March 12, 1945 by the British administration for use in World War II, it has remained in IAF possession and was used in three wars. According to the probe, accused Usha and Naveen, of Dumni Wala village, deceitfully claimed ownership of the land and sold it off in collusion with a section of revenue officials after forging revenue records.The original complaint was filed by whistleblower Nishan Singh, a retired revenue official, but nothing happened for years. In 2021, the commandant of Halwara Air Force Station wrote to Ferozepur deputy commissioner demanding a probe. Still nothing happened.Nishan filed a petition in HC seeking an inquiry. Counsel for the petitioner submitted that the original owner of the land, Madan Mohal Lal, died in 1991. However, the sale deeds were executed in 1997 and the names of Surjit Kaur, Manjit Kaur, Mukhtiar Singh, Jagir Singh, Dara Singh, Ramesh Kant, and Rakesh Kant were shown as owners in the Jamabandi from 2009-10, although the military had never transferred the land to them.HC reprimanded Ferozepur deputy commissioner for inaction, pointing out the potential threat to national security. In his order, Justice Harjit Singh Brar asked Punjab VB chief director to personally verify the veracity of the allegations and, if required, take action. He was asked to conclude the probe within four weeks.