Delhi Court Jails Ex-IAS Officer, 12 Others in Multi-Crore Housing Scam

A Delhi court has sentenced 13 individuals, including a retired IAS officer, to jail for their involvement in a multi-crore rupee housing scam that defrauded thousands of prospective homebuyers. The special CBI court handed down varying jail terms, emphasizing a strict approach to corruption, which the judge likened to a disease requiring aggressive treatment.

The scam involved the fraudulent revival of defunct Cooperative Group Housing Societies (CGHS) through forgery and corruption to secure land from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). After obtaining land at subsidized rates, the convicts sold proposed flats to new members or agents at exorbitant prices, adversely impacting thousands of homebuyers who were left paying hefty EMIs for homes that never materialized.

The 13 individuals were convicted in connection with the Safadarjung Co-operative Group Housing Society case. Karamvir Singh, Narender Kumar, Maha Nan Sharma, Pankaj Madan, Ahawni Sharma, Ashutosh Pant, Sudershan Tandon, Manoj Vats, Vijay Thakur, Vikas Madan, and Poonam Awasthi were sentenced to five years in prison with a fine. Gopal Dixit, an 84-year-old retired IAS official, and Narender Dheer, 92, received two-year jail sentences with a fine.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) revealed that the group conspired to fraudulently revive the society using forged documents and obtained land allotment from the DDA through deceitful means. The CBI filed multiple FIRs against the developers, officials, and builders, including charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, and corruption under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Special Judge Prashant Sharma stated that corruption is opposed to democracy and social order, affecting the economy and destroying cultural heritage. He added that the faith of the common person in the justice system must not be shaken by lenient sentences for the convicted. The court also rejected the convicts' plea to consider their family responsibilities, questioning why they committed the offenses if they were so concerned about their families. The court noted that the motive was to acquire property in Delhi at below-market value by forging documents.

The court's decision highlights the importance of accountability in public land dealings and sends a strong message against corruption in the housing sector. This ruling comes amid increased scrutiny of housing scams in Delhi-NCR, with the Supreme Court also stepping in to allow the CBI to file 22 FIRs in a separate massive housing scam involving builders, banks, and authorities. These cases underscore the challenges faced by homebuyers and the need for greater transparency and regulatory oversight in the real estate industry.