SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Aug 25: Stressed Assets Management Branch of State Bank of India (SBI) Kolkata auctioned Skylark Hotel Private Limited, the Dhanbad-based hotel of former chief minister of Punjab Sardar Darbara Singh.
According to sources, SBI Kolkata sold the hotel through e-auction on Wednesday. The base price of the hotel was put on Rs 32 crores for the bid. The officials at Dhanbad refused to share the information about who had the last bid for the hotel and at what cost it was finalized. Everything was done from Kolkata through an online process.
Skylark Hotel, said to be the first three-star hotel in the coal city, belongs to the sons of former Punjab CM Sardar Darbara Singh (1980 to 83). His three sons Joginder Singh Johal, Devendra Singh Johal and Surjit Singh Johal run the hotel.
Later, shares of two other brothers were transferred in the name of elder brother Joginder Singh Johal’s wife Amarjeet Kaur. Surjit Singh Johal died in Dhanbad while two other brothers shifted to Punjab. The hotel had landed in Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) Kolkata. The SBI had put on notice of action at the gate of the hotel last month.
Johal brothers owned coal mines in Katras of Dhanbad in 1967. But after the nationalization of coal mines, they shifted business to other sectors and opened the first 3-star hotel in Dhanbad in 1978. Skylark Hotel was a favourite destination of Cine star Shatrughan Sinha who whenever visited Dhanbad used to stay there at least for an hour.
Hotel fell into debt after abduction of manager
Sources said Skylark Hotel fell into debt after the abduction of its executive director Uday Shankar Chandra in 2011.
Uday Shankar Chandra along with his driver was kidnapped on way to Kolkata from Dhanbad on July 2, 2011. He was going by Hyundai Verna car to his son’s house based in Thakurpukur Behala of Kolkata. Reportedly, he was kidnapped near Chowringhee Crossing.
One month later on August 1, 2011, he was released by abductors in Asansol (Bengal) reportedly after paying a heavy amount of ransom. However, police and family members denied paying ransom to the abductors.
