After the dispute over the property of a church known as Khyber House at Dalhousie Police has arrested one person and taken into custody 13 persons involved in the case. Church of North India (CNI), has claimed the ownership over the property of Church, but today another angle involved in it when Amritsar Diocese Trust Association (ADTA) claimed its ownership over entire property and urged State Govt to give possession of property to them. Mehraj Masih Secretary of Amritsar Diocese Trust Association said that CNI is also a fraud association and if Govt helped them to get possession of Khyber House (who are also trespasser) Govt should verify the documents and should give possession to the actual trustee.
ADTA secretary Mehraj Masih hold a press conference at Shimla and elaborate that the Amritsar Diocesean Trust Association in short ADTA, a registered body under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 with its Head Office situated at 12 Tailor Road, Amritsar in 1959-60. For types of properties are vested in the trust and these properties were transferred at serial No. 1 and 2 to ADTA on 17-03-1955 and serial No. 3 on 25-10-1956 are as follows:
1. Property of the Church Missionary Society.
2. Property of the Zanana Missionary Society.
3. Kangra Missionary Society.
4. Govt. property transferred through Defense Deptt. GOI dated 23-03-1948.
Mehraj Masih said that the ADTA had been managing the above all property in the state of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir till 1970. The first Bishop was Wilconson the Chairman and Capt. J.B. Wade was the secretary of the ADTA.
On 29th November, 1970 a worship union came into existence of six denominational churches of the North India is known as the Church of North India in short CNI. The Bishops, Priestbyters and the followers of the CNI have started grabbing the property including the churches, educational institutions and hospitals. Consequently, the litigation was started. Mesih said that these dubious people of CNI are selling Church land and also forging paper to have control on the institutions.
Mehraj Masih also leveled serious charges against Pradeep Samantaray who claimed to be the Bishop of Church of North India; Masih said that he had addressed a press conference on 12-05-2012 where he raised the issue of the property grabbed by the miscreants in Dalhousie. The ADTA also condemns such action of those who did such unlawful act, but the property belongs to the ADTA only, not to the CNI or any other organization. But the Bishop himself claims the Chairman of the ADTA and Sadric Sohan Lal Secretary of the society, but these are not recognized by any court in Himachal Pradesh or elsewhere. The Secretary Sohan Lal convicted including other trustees i.e. Rev. Basir Masih, Rev. Ayuv Denial and Denial B. Dass vide decision of the suit No. 302 dated 21-02-2012 at Amritsar (new cutting enclosed).
It is pertinent to mention here that Bishop P.K. Samantaray has given a power of attorney to Sadric Sohan Lal, Ayub Danial who disposed off a prime land (Kh No. 573/2,573/3,573/5 &701/573) to a well known builder on agreement against the order of the Hon’ble High Court Punjab and Haryana Chandigarh. The title of the same property was changed on Indemnity Bond submitted to the settlement office by the then Bishop Anand Chandulal in connivance with the revenue department and no action was taken till date. Samant Ray his lobby is so powerful which influences the officers of the various departments of the Himachal Government. Simultaneously the corporation did not take any action in sanctioning the demolishing/reconstruction of work as per rules of the manual of Municipal Act. The Additional Sub-Judge Amritsar has accepted Bishop Anand Chandulal as Chairman and Sohan Lal as Secretary of the ADTA and new members of the management be appointed vide decision dated 16-08-1988, but the decreed case was stayed and new committee was also stayed by the Hon’ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana on 30-10-1988 till the case is finally settled.
Mehraj Masih added that ADTA is the actual owner of the property situated in Himachal Pradesh that is claimed by the Church of North India. He added that ADTA has sufficient papers to authenticate its claim and he requested the Government to interfere and find out the facts and proper documents from the followers of the CNI who are misguiding the administration.
