Mohali, July 20 -- Days after a local court granted the president of the Universal Educational Society (UES) interim protection from arrest in the Ballopur shamlat land case, the Punjab and Haryana high court has directed the Punjab government that no coercive steps be taken against the UES pursuant to the rural development department's move seeking cancellation of the institution's change of land use (CLU) permission and withdrawal of its recognition by the higher education department.

The case stems from a complaint alleging that nearly 68 bighas and 14 biswas of shamlat land (common land) in Dera Bassi's Ballopur village, which was leased out to the UES, was mortgaged to raise loans in violation of lease conditions. Police have alread...