Shimla, June 7 -- The controversy surrounding the Chester Hills land case and the registration of an FIR against former Himachal Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) chairman and former Chief Secretary Shrikant Baldi intensified, with Baldi strongly rejecting the criminal case lodged against him by recently retired Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta and describing it as a "false, baseless and malicious" attempt to silence criticism.

In a detailed statement on Saturday, Baldi said the FIR registered on May 30, 2026, the day Gupta retired from service, was linked to a press statement he had issued on April 12 questioning Gupta's actions in connection with the Chester Hills project in Solan district.

Baldi alleged that Gupta had passe...