Shimla, March 30 -- The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday levelled serious allegations against the Himachal Pradesh government and Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta, accusing them of facilitating land mafia activities and benami land deals in the state.

Addressing a press conference, CPI(M) state secretary Sanjay Chauhan, former MLA Rakesh Singha, and senior leader Kuldeep Singh Thanwar termed the issue "extremely serious" and demanded immediate removal of the Chief Secretary along with the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter.

Sanjay Chauhan alleged that a nexus of real estate mafia and senior bureaucrats has been systematically violating laws to enable illegal land grabbing in the state. He said...