SHILLONG, April 28 � The alleged land grabbing case against former Advocate General of Meghalaya, SP Mahanta would come up for hearing on May 8, amidst an attempt to settle the case through the High Court Mediation Centre before the hearing.
The full Bench of the Meghalaya High Court, after hearing a review petition filed by Mahanta, stated that it would attempt to settle the matter through the High Court Mediation Centre. Mahanta�s wife Vennetta Kharsyntiew agreed to the proposal, but it is uncertain whether the affected parties, senior NRI citizen Tushar Nath Bhattacharjee (76) and his two sisters � Sujata Bezbaruah (83) and Sabita Goswami � would welcome the move as a court order had earlier ruled in their favour in this case.
Last year, the Meghalaya High Court had dismissed a review petition filed by Mahanta and upheld the decision of an earlier court order which stated the lawyer had encroached into a prime property belonging to the senior NRI citizen.
Former Chief Justice of High Court of Meghalaya, Justice PC Pant in his order said, �This court is not inclined to interfere with the order passed by the Appellate Court. As such, the revision filed under Section 36-A of Administration of Justice and Police (in Khasi and Jaintia Hills) 1937, is hereby dismissed.�
Earlier, the District Judge, B Giri (Court of the Deputy Commissioner-Judicial) termed the possession of land measuring 14,285 sq feet by Mahanta and his wife at Lower Lachumiere as illegal. The order of the District Judge said that the appellants, Bhattacharjee and others, are entitled to get back the possession of their property.
In the meantime, a charge sheet has been filed against Bhattacharjee and his sister Sujata Bezbaruah based on an FIR lodged by Mahanta�s wife in which it was alleged that the senior citizen and his sister were involved in breach of trust, criminal intimidation, defamation, forgery and cheating, among others.
