The Hindu : DDA scam: CBI raids reveal middleman's `tentacles'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 02, 2003

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National

DDA scam: CBI raids reveal middleman's `tentacles'

By Vinay Kumar

NEW DELHI APRIL 1. The Central Bureau of Investigation is learnt to have submitted a detailed report on Justice Shameel Mukherjee, Delhi High Court Judge, to the Union Home Ministry.

The judge resigned on Monday citing "personal reasons" and denied any links to the scam in the Delhi Development Authority.

It is learnt that the Union Home Secretary has been informed of the judge's "several activities, which were not in keeping with the dignity of the high office".

Well-placed CBI sources said that a middleman, Dharamveer Khattar's Jangpura Extension house on Mathura Road in Delhi was a frequent "rendezvous". Electronic surveillance showed that crucial files used to find their way to the house, where a woman lawyer practising in the High Court allegedly wrote briefs and suggested the "suitable" legal course.

Sources said the tentacles of Khattar were "very well-spread".

The CBI had on March 26 raided the premises of top officials of the DDA, including the Vice-Chairman, Subhash Sharma. The residences of the Commissioner (Land Disposal), the Commissioner (Planning) and the Director (Lands) were also searched. Several leads pointed to the alleged involvement of Ashok Kapoor, former personal secretary to the Vice-Chairman.

Sources alleged that Khattar used to bring in "parties" to senior DDA officials on the assurance that their dealings with the DDA would run smoothly. He also allegedly swung land deals for a price and lured senior officials with "easy money" and other allurements. Big players availed themselves of "his services" to overcome delay and bypass the red-tape. As of now, all these remain in the realm of allegations. Several files and records are under scrutiny and might lead to more arrests, according to the sources.

The CBI's track record in the past two years shows that it has certainly pursued the big fish and caught them in its net but several "raided" officials have either been reinstated or transferred to non-sensitive posts. The former Enforcement Directorate official, Ashok Aggarwal, was recently reinstated after intervention by the Central Administrative Tribunal; Virendra Singh, former Commissioner, MCD, has also been reinducted and so is J. K. Sharma, the senior Delhi Police official, though cases are pending against them in courts.

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