Protect the interest of genuine buyers of flats in Capital: HC

New Delhi, Jan 16 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today expressed its displeasure when the Registrar Cooperative Societies(RCS) Sat Gopal submitted that no tainted group housing societies could qualify to be given a clean chit.

Adjouring the matter till January 19, the bench, headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar, directed the committee headed by the RCS to look into the matter keeping the plight of public in mind.

''So many people had invested lakhs of rupees in a flat and the committee headed by the RCS has to look into the matter in its proper perspective,'' observed the bench.

During a hearing in December 2006, the bench had asked the authorities to protect the interest of the genuine buyers, who were not givan the flats even after paying money.

The High Court had formed a committee comprising Registrar Cooperative Societies(RCS), CBI Joint Director, and DDA Commissioner (Land) to look into the matter pertaining to the cooperative societies land scam which had been pending in the courts for three years.

The Judges had asked the committee to look into the CBI probe reports concerning 252 group housing societies, including 135 societies yet to be allotted land.

The committee and the CBI have already filed their reports.

The Court said the RCS and DDA Vice Chairman were competent enough to initiate action if there was any fraud or criminality in the housing societies or allottment of land, by cancelling the lease of land or withdrawing the membership, as the case might be.

The Committee was directed to draw upon a plan to deal with the societies or members who had resorted to any fraudulent or criminal wrongdoing in ''hijacking'' the societies or inducted members in a wrongful manner.

The Court directed the three separate authorities-- CBI, DDA and RCS-- to also act independently and take action against the persons who had resorted to any criminal wrongdoing.

The High Court had directed the CBI to probe into the group housing society matters pertaining to 117 societies which were allotted land by the DDA and 135 societies recommended for allottment of land by the RCS.

It was alleged that many of the societies had been hijacked by the builder mafia by purchasing the societies or replacing the original members of the governing body and selling the flats at an exorbitant price.

UNI