WEBDESK: A decades-old land dispute near the India-Pakistan border has resurfaced just weeks after India suffered losses in a skirmish with Pakistan. The issue centres around the village of Fatehwala in Punjab, where a piece of land claimed by a private family is now being declared as Ministry of Defence property by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The IAF asserts that the land in question has belonged to the Defence Ministry since 1945 and was used during World War II as an advanced landing ground.
The Air Force further claims that the site played a strategic role in the 1962, 1965, and 1971 wars. However, the family that once owned the land says it was simply military occupation disguised as national security.
The Air Force has accused Usha Ansal and her son Naveen Chandra Ansal of trying to sell the land using forged documents in 1997.
In contrast, the family insists the land is part of their ancestral property and was sold legally. They allege that the IAF only laid claim to it recently due to its strategic importance and plans to build a new airbase.
This controversy was made worse when Nishan Singh, a retired revenue officer revealed that the government had had several private owners to the government land since 1997 therefore questioning the assertion by IAF that they had always owned the land.
Years later and after fighting a great battle to get justice, Singh was granted a hearing courtesy of the High Court.
The local government gave the Defence Ministry the disputed land shortly after the May 2025 aerial conflict with Pakistan.
The British colonial government had purchased the land in 1945 for military purposes, according to a June report. Nonetheless, some have criticised this action as an abuse of power and questioned its timing and transparency.
The Ansal family, who have lived in Delhi since the 1990s, has denied the claims and charged the IAF with stealing land in the name of national security.
Besides this, the revenue officials going hand in hands in the 1997 land transactions have also been discovered by the investigators. Manjeet Kaur, Jagir Singh and Mukhtiar Singh are among a few individuals accused of document fabrication.
Some officials are accused of even accepting bribes to overlook the forgery. Vigilance Bureau Inspector Jagdeep Kaur is currently investigating the matter.
Ferozepur SSP Bhupinder Singh confirmed that, under court orders, an FIR has been registered at Kalghari police station.
However, local residents claim only low-level officials are being targeted, while the IAF’s actions remain unchallenged.
Defence analysts have questioned the reason behind the recent revival of a case that dates back decades. The Indian government is allegedly using the long-standing dispute as an excuse to turn the border region into a military zone, according to neutral observers.
They contend that the action is intended to uproot residents and build military facilities under false pretences.
Experts claim that India now plans to build a modern airbase at Fateh Wala, potentially increasing military pressure on Pakistan.
“This is not just a land issue, it’s a signal of military aggression,” according to defense analysts. “Calling it the ‘Airstrip Scam’ is just a narrative tool to legitimise military expansion.”
International observers have urged an impartial investigation into the Indian Air Force’s claims, warning that such actions could escalate tensions and threaten regional stability.
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