A court in Patiala has ordered the seizure of the municipal corporation's office building and other assets due to the non-payment of dues to the family of a deceased employee. The order encompasses the municipal corporation's office building, the commissioner's official car, and various office assets, including furniture, computers, printers, fans, and air conditioners. This action follows the corporation's failure to clear ₹3.2 lakh in dues owed to the family of Varinderjit Singh, a former Class IV employee.

Varinderjit Singh was initially recruited in 2000 but faced dismissal in 2001 due to a pending case. After a protracted legal battle, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled in his favor in 2017, directing the municipal body to reinstate him and provide retroactive allowances and interest for the period of his dismissal. Despite the court's order and the Supreme Court's dismissal of the corporation's appeal, the dues remained unpaid. Advocate Puneet Sharma, representing the petitioner, stated that Varinderjit Singh retired in 2018 while still holding the same position he was initially hired for, as he was denied promotions during his employment.

The civil judge (junior division) in Patiala issued the order, with the warrant to be executed by July 23. The next hearing is scheduled for July 27, during which the corporation must present evidence of cleared dues or face further actions, potentially including an auction of the attached properties.

The Patiala Municipal Corporation, officially founded on September 24, 1997, is the local governing body responsible for administering the city of Patiala. The first elections were held in June 2002. It comprises 60 elected members and 3 ex-officio members who are MLAs from Patiala, Patiala Rural, and Sanour. The corporation's functions include obligatory duties and discretionary powers to develop Patiala. The mayor of Patiala is the elected chief of the Municipal Corporation, but the real powers are vested in the Municipal Commissioner. The current mayor is Kundan Gogia, who assumed office on January 10, 2025.

This is not the first time the Patiala Municipal Corporation has faced legal or administrative challenges. In January 2025, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau arrested an Assistant Town Planner from the Municipal Corporation Patiala and an architect for taking a bribe. In November 2018, it was reported that the Patiala Municipal Corporation had not been able to dispose of a single file related to the regularization of properties, despite the notification of a new policy.