Unauthorised constructions: Court raps CBI for illusory probe

A court here has pulled up CBI for its "illusory" probe into the nexus of MCD officers, engineers, builders and political bosses in unauthorised constructions and giving clean chit to many officials involved.
Special CBI judge A K Mendiratta came down on the investigating agency while acquitting MCD junior engineer (JE) Ajay Kumar Shrotriya, who was accused of illegally saving an unauthorised construction from demolition in 2002.
Observing that "the nexus is deeper but only illusory investigation has been conducted giving a clean chit to many other officials involved", the court directed the MCD Commissioner to initiate departmental proceedings against JE Mohd Ahmed and assistant engineer D C Gupta posted at the relevant time for failing to take necessary demolition action.

It asked the Deputy Commissioner MCD to furnish personally an Action Taken Report before it in six weeks.
The CBI case was registered in compliance to a 2006 order of the high court on a writ petition to probe nexus of MCD officers and others concerning unauthorised constructions.
After inquiry, CBI filed 15 charge sheets pertaining to 15 unauthorised properties in West Zone arraying Ajay and owners and builders of the properties as accused.

Ajay was accused of making false notings that demolition of an unauthorised property in Ramesh Nagar belonging to Seema Verma has been carried out in pursuance of a demolition order passed in 2002 when no action had actually been taken.

Verma, a co-accused in the case, has also been acquitted.
Ajay, however, told the court he was made a scapegoat while none of the officers during whose tenure unauthorised property was raised or those who did not take any action after his transfer were booked or quizzed by the CBI.