Ex-MCD officer, four others get four year jail in graft case

A former MCD officer and four others have been sentenced to four years imprisonment in a graft case by a special court which said it highlighted a nexus between senior officials and builders who were acting like "a mafia" and carrying out rampant unauthorised construction here.
The court observed that the builders were not scared of flouting the guidelines of the Supreme Court and due to their nexus with senior Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officers, unauthorised construction was flourishing in Delhi.
Special CBI Judge Brijesh Garg said the allegations proved against convicts-- A C Garg, MCD's then Assistant Engineer (Building), builder Gopal Krishan Aggarwal, private persons Mamta Nehra, Naresh Shekari and Srikrishan Vashisth-- were serious in nature and they do not deserve any leniency.

They were awarded the jail term keeping in view their age, social, economical, educational and family background.
"The present case has once again highlighted the prevalent corruption in MCD at the higher levels and has also highlighted the nexus of the senior officials of MCD with the builders and owners of prime properties in Delhi, due to which rampant illegal and unauthorised constructions are flourishing in Delhi.
"The builders are acting like a mafia and are often not scared to flout the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court, from time to time," the court said.

It said the convicts had conspired and cheated MCD and various unsuspecting innocent buyers by raising illegal and unauthorised constructions.

The case was lodged by CBI in July 2006 on the Delhi High Court's directions to conduct a probe into the alleged nexus between MCD officials, builders/owners and politicians which led to large-scale unauthorised constructions in Delhi.
According to the CBI, Garg who was dismissed from service in April 2006, retained 15 files of unauthorised construction even after his dismissal without any justifiable reasons.
CBI said that demolition orders were passed against such constructions and it could be done only after getting the files from Garg, but he saved the properties from any action.
During the trial, all the accused denied the evidence against them and pleaded that they were innocent and falsely implicated in the case.

The court held them guilty for the offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, public servant disobeying direction of law with an intent to save a person from punishment under the IPC and the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 32,000 on Garg and Rs 20,000 each on Aggarwal, Nehra, Shekari and Vashisht.