Rohtak News — High Court Bars Local Judges in Housing Fraud, City Targeted for Singapore Investment
The Punjab and Haryana High Court stepped in this week to prevent Rohtak's sessions judges from hearing bail applications in a housing fraud case involving DHL Infratech Pvt Limited and Gupta Property Developers. Separately, Rohtak featured among the Haryana cities positioned for investment by Singaporean businesses, as Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini concluded a business visit to Singapore with proposals worth nearly Rs 5,500 crore. The city also made news for a civic enforcement drive against illegal hoardings and for being selected to host a state health pilot programme.
High Court Steps In on Real Estate Fraud Bail Pleas
The Punjab and Haryana High Court issued a notable order in early October concerning a real estate fraud case with direct implications for Rohtak. The court restrained all sessions judges posted in Rohtak from hearing bail applications arising from a criminal case that accuses DHL Infratech Pvt Limited and Gupta Property Developers of defrauding homebuyers. The affected buyers had invested their savings in a residential project marketed under the name DHL New Town. The case, titled Subhash Gupta v State of Haryana, reached the high court amid concerns about how bail matters for the accused developers were being handled at the lower court level. Justice NS Shekhawat presided over the bench that passed the restraining order. The court also placed on record its observation that police officers stationed in Rohtak had been hesitant to take action against the real estate promoters and developers named in the case. The order effectively centralises oversight of bail proceedings in this matter at the high court, reducing the risk of inconsistent outcomes from different sessions judges. The case reflects the ongoing difficulties faced by homebuyers in Rohtak who invested in housing projects and were subsequently left without the properties they paid for. The intervention by the high court signals close scrutiny of how local courts and law enforcement handle disputes involving real estate developers in the region. [2]
Crackdown on Illegal Hoardings Nets Rs 40 Lakh in Fines
Civic authorities in Rohtak mounted a significant enforcement drive against illegal outdoor advertising, fining a total of 150 violators and imposing penalties amounting to Rs 40 lakh. The crackdown, reported by The Tribune, targeted hoardings erected without proper authorisation across the city. Penalties of this scale reflect a determined approach by local bodies towards businesses and individuals who display advertising material in breach of municipal regulations. Illegal hoardings have long been a matter of concern in Indian cities, where unregulated signage creates visual clutter, poses safety hazards and can obstruct traffic visibility at road junctions and intersections. By levying fines of this cumulative magnitude, Rohtak's authorities have made clear that unauthorised outdoor advertising will carry a real financial cost. The Rs 40 lakh figure spread across 150 violators works out to an average fine of roughly Rs 26,666 per case, though individual penalties are likely to vary based on the size, location and duration of each unlawful installation. Property owners, shop fronts, businesses and advertising agencies operating in the city would be well advised to verify that all their signage carries the appropriate municipal permissions before display. Such enforcement drives are often followed by further periodic checks, suggesting that the pressure on illegal hoardings in Rohtak may continue in the weeks ahead. [3]
Rohtak to Host Pilot of Verbal Autopsy Health Programme
Rohtak has been selected as the site for a pilot initiative testing a system known as verbal autopsy, a structured methodology used to determine the probable cause of death in cases where a formal medical certification was not obtained at the time of passing. The programme, reported by ThePrint, forms part of a broader Haryana state effort to improve the accuracy and completeness of death reporting across the region. Verbal autopsy typically involves trained interviewers gathering information from family members or caregivers of a deceased person, using standardised questionnaires to allow health professionals to infer the most likely cause of death from the responses provided. The method is particularly valuable in settings where deaths frequently occur at home and may not be attended by a physician. By running the pilot in Rohtak, Haryana hopes to generate evidence on the method's feasibility and accuracy in the local context, with a view to informing a wider rollout elsewhere in the state. Accurate cause-of-death data is fundamental to public health planning, disease surveillance and the equitable allocation of health resources to address the most pressing mortality burdens in a population. If the Rohtak pilot demonstrates that verbal autopsy can be reliably implemented, it could provide a model for other districts across Haryana and beyond. [5]
Rohtak Earmarked as Hub for Singapore Business Investment
Rohtak has been named as one of several Haryana cities to be developed as a hub for global capability centres and technology-driven businesses, following a business visit by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to Singapore that concluded on Tuesday, 6 October. The visit included a round-table conference convened under the Singapore business forum, attended by representatives from more than a dozen Singaporean companies active in sectors relevant to Haryana's development ambitions. By the conclusion of the visit, investment proposals worth nearly Rs 5,500 crore had been placed on the table. Saini extended invitations to Singaporean firms to invest in sectors including semiconductors, green energy, warehousing and infrastructure. Rohtak was identified alongside Panchkula, Karnal, Hisar and Sonepat as a city that would be cultivated as a next-generation economic centre, comparable in ambition to the already established Gurugram corridor. The Chief Minister described the complementarity between Singapore and Haryana, noting that Singapore's strengths in innovation and global connectivity align well with Haryana's culture of enterprise, its manufacturing base and its access to India's large domestic markets. He said the convergence of these capabilities could take the economic partnership to new heights. Saini also assured Singaporean investors of responsive and timely decision-making on proposals submitted to the state government. [7]
Sources: [2] Bar and Bench · [3] The Tribune · [5] ThePrint · [7] Swarajya