IAS officer jailed in Noida plot allotment case

A CBI court here on Monday sent IAS officer Rajiv Kumar to judicial custody in Dasna jail after he surrendered before the court for abuse of power in a Noida plot allotment scam.

The former deputy chief executive officer (DCEO) and presently in waiting list for new posting, surrendered before the CBI court on Monday. It sent him to jail after taking him into judicial custody.

Kumar, a former principal secretary (appointment) in the personnel department in UP government, surrendered before the court after losing his case in Allahabad High Court.

His accomplice and the then chief executive officer (CEO) of Noida, Neera Yadav, has already surrendered before the same court. She is presently serving a three-year jail term awarded in 2012.

Neera Yadav, who was the chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh and the chief executive officer (CEO) of Noida, along with Rajiv Kumar, the then DCEO of Noida, were convicted by the local CBI court to three-year jail terms.

They were also slapped a financial penalty of Rs.1,00,000 each in two cases pertaining to the illegal allotment of plots during their tenure in Noida in 1994.

CBI special judge S. Lal at Ghaziabad, pronouncing the judgment in the Noida plot allotment scam, said the court found them guilty of abusing their position and, therefore, convicted them to three years' jail along with a financial penalty of Rs.1,00,000 and Rs.50,000 in two cases.

Both the penalties -- jail and the cash fine -- were imposed simultaneously on the two accused. The conviction was awarded under section 120(B) of IPC (criminal conspiracy) and section 13(2) (criminal misconduct by public servant) read with section 13(1)(D) (using corrupt and illegal means) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The accused were granted bail after the pronouncement of the judgment after furnishing personal bonds of Rs.1,00,000 each.

Neera Yadav and Rajiv Kumar were found guilty in a case wherein Kumar allotted a plot No.86/51 and later transferred the allotment to a prime location in sector-14A as plot No.27.

A piece of adjoining land measuring 105 square metres was also clubbed with the plot and allotted to him. The court found Kumar guilty of abusing his position as deputy chief executive officer (DCEO).

The Noida Entrepreneur Association filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court which then ordered the CBI to investigate the case.

Complying with the Supreme Court order, the CBI on February 26, 1998, registered a case against Neera Yadav and others including Deputy CEO Rajiv Kumar.

The CBI filed the chargesheet in October 16, 2002. After a 10-year trial, the court of CBI special judge convicted the UP cadre senior IAS officers in 2012.