Chandigarh, Aug. 19 -- The ownership claims of Polo Hotels Limited over 15 acres of high-valued disputed land in erstwhile Chowki village of Panchkula face fresh scrutiny after the Supreme Court ruled that mere proof of pre-1950 possession by village proprietors was not enough to take the shamlat deh (village commons) land out of the purview of the Punjab Village Common Land (regulation) Act. The North Park Hotel in Panchkula is run by Polo Hotels Limited.

The apex court in its August 3 order held that a claimant must also establish that the land was partitioned before January 26, 1950, and individual cultivating possession followed the partition.

"As has been settled by well researched commentaries on the subject and the decisions of t...