New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday ordered
the arrest various policemen and revenue department officials
allegedly involved in a wide-spread racket of converting
agricultural land into unauthorised colonies in collusion with
property dealers in Narela area here.
Justice Shiv Narayan Dhingra gave the order while
dismissing the anticipatory bail plea of one such property
dealer Praveen Khatri for his alleged involvement in the
racket.
Dismissing his plea, Justice Dhingra asked Narela
police probing the racket to arrest him and his accomplices.
"Conversion of agricultural land into unauthorised
colonies by property dealers for their personal gains and
duping persons and cheating them and that too with the
involvement of local police and revenue department is the
larger issue," Justice Dhingra said while rejecting Khatri`s
plea.
He also dismissed Khatri`s contention that he had sent
only eight plots but returned the moeny in two cases after
reaching a compromise with the parties.
"Investigating Officer is directed to apprehend all
concerned officials involved in this case together along with
the petitioner and interrogate them and the petitioner be not
singled out by him, " also said Justice Dhingra and sought a
status report about investigation and action taken by December
22.
The Anti-Corrpution Bureau of Delhi government is probing
the alleged land conversion racket at Gautam Colony, Sanjay
Colony, Vishal Enclave, Swatantra Nagar and Safiabad Road in
Narela.
It has registered a case against over half a dozen
property dealers and certain unnamed officials of the Revenue
Department, Delhi Development Authority, Municipal Corporation
of Delhi and Delhi Police
Inquiries revealed that from 2007 onwards, some property
dealers and others allegedly acquired agricultural land at
"non-competitive prices" and sold it to private persons
concealing the fact that the land was not meant for
residential purposes.
PTI
