Former IPL chief Lalit Modi’s mother says Punjab spiritual organisation encroached on Mussoorie house

MUSSOORIE: Bina Modi, mother of former Indian Premier League (IPL) chief Lalit Modi, has accused Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB), a Punjab-based spiritual organisation, of illegally taking over her Mussoorie property, demolishing her house, and constructing a new building at the site. She also alleged that Rajputana Security Services, the agency she had hired to safeguard the house, was involved in stealing valuables. In a police complaint demanding action against those responsible and the removal of the encroachment, Bina said she is the co-owner of ‘Modi Bhavan Part A' on Camel's Back Road. The property had four bedrooms on the ground floor and one bedroom on the first floor. Since 2006, she had employed Rajputana Security Services to protect the house.She added she discovered the house had been broken into on Feb 14 and valuables, including important documents, had been stolen. She accused representatives of the security agency of criminal conspiracy. "The RSSB has demolished the old house and are constructing a new building at the site. We want them evicted and criminal action taken against all involved," said Anil Khanna, who works with Bina. He added that the total property area is about one acre, with a built-up area of 4,000sqft. Ajay Sekhri, a manager at Radha Soami Satsang Beas, denied the allegations. "These claims are baseless. This property is under our ownership, and we have all legal documents," he said. Mussoorie SHO Santosh Kunwar told TOI that both parties had been asked to provide ownership papers. "Representatives of RSSB have submitted their documents, while the complainant is yet to do so. No case has been registered until we verify the documents," Kunwar said. RSSB, founded in 1891 and headquartered in Beas, Punjab, has millions of followers worldwide and is known for its large spiritual centres across India. It has previously faced land-related disputes in various locations. In Punjab, RSSB was accused of illegally occupying land and extracting sand in Amritsar, leading to a case in the Punjab and Haryana high court.In Maharashtra, the organisation was involved in a controversial land transaction where it sold 23 acres of government-allotted land, raising questions over its legality. In Himachal Pradesh, the state cabinet debated amending the Land Ceiling Act to allow RSSB to transfer hospital land in Hamirpur, but legal concerns stalled the process.