SC refuses to interfere with CBI probe in housing scandal

New Delhi, Sep 15 (UNI) The Supreme Court today refused to interefere in the ongoing CBI investigation against about 100 fake group housing socities in Delhi which have been allotted land on the basis of bogus list of members.

A bench comprising Justices K G Balakrishnan and D K Jain vacated the interim orders giving liberty to the petitioners to move the high court for anticipatory bail in case they apprehend arrest.

The court also directed the CBI not to arrest the petitioners till September 22.

The apex court told the petitioner societies to go to the Delhi high court which is monitoring the CBI investigation.

The court also refused to pass any order on the high court observations saying that builder and land mafia in the city had committed a massive fraud.

According to the petitioners out of 120 societies, 21 group housing socieities have already been discharged by the CBI.

The apex court in its order directed that where regular case (RC) has been registered by the CBI investigation would go on.

There is no provision for arrest where only Preliminary enquiry (PE) has been registered.

It may be noted here that former Registrar of group housing Societies and large number of persons including the kingpin Saxena have already been arrested by the CBI.

Additional Solicitor General Amrender Sharan, however, strongly opposed the plea of the petitioners that CBI should be restrained from arresting accused persons without prior permission of the court and pleaded that if evidence was there CBI would certainly arrest the accused persons.

It may be recalled here that large number of the societies were allotted land when they only existed on papers and list of members was bogus and forged as original members had already left the societies.

The petitioners include Vishrantika Co-operative Group housing society and batch of other societies spread all over the city.

UNI AKS/SC RP HS2001