DDA given clean chit in housing scam

DDA given clean chit in housing scam
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police, which is probing the multi-million-rupee housing scam, has given the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) a clean
chit.

"We have received a report from the forensic lab in Hyderabad that the software used by the DDA during the allotment of over 5000 flats was not rigged. The DDA conduct of allotment was fair and no discrepancy was found in it," a senior Crime Branch official told IANS.

"We have not found any wrongdoing by the DDA," the official said.

Over 500,000 people applied for 5,238 flats under the DDA's housing scheme 2008. But the housing scheme got mired in controversies amid allegations of fake applications.

The scam came to light earlier this year after a man who was allotted a flat in the draw of lots told the police that he had not even applied for it.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police started investigations, which revealed a group of people conspired to buy several flats in the names of those from reserved categories like the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes who were eligible for the flats but could not afford them. The conspirators meant to sell off these flats later for huge profits.

So far, the EOW has arrested Deepak Kumar, who allegedly blew the lid off the scam after he fell out with some fellow real estate agents, retired DDA employee M.L. Gautam, and real estate agents Raju Ram, Laxmi Narayan Meena and Vijay Pal.

Satbir Singh and Dinesh Dral were arrested for forging the documents to open bank accounts in fictitious names. Suresh Kumar Meena, a Delhi-based real estate agent, was arrested March 19 and the last one to be arrested was Jeet Ram - one of the key financiers - April 27.