Delhi LG dismisses official who made 57 fraud land deeds

Harish Bajaj, the DASS (Delhi Administrative Subordinate Service) grade one officer, was dismissed from service for allegedly fraudulently registering 57 sale and purchase deeds of government land and gram sabha lands

A Delhi government officer, who had challenged his compulsory retirement for “acts of omission and commission” with regard to his official duties related to registering land deeds, was dismissed from service on Friday for alleged corruption on lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena’s orders, officials said.

Lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena observed that the “penalty of compulsory retirement” is grossly disproportionate for the guilty official. (HT photo)

Harish Bajaj, the DASS (Delhi Administrative Subordinate Service) grade one officer, was dismissed from service for allegedly fraudulently registering 57 sale and purchase deeds of government land and gram sabha lands in favour of private persons, an official from the LG office said.

“Harish Bajaj illegally registered 106 instruments with malafide intentions and financial quid pro quo, in violation of rules, regulations and instructions issued by the revenue department. Of the 106 instruments, 57 were in relation to government and gram sabha lands,” the LG office said.

The official was asked to compulsorily retire by the government in 2020 and had filed an appeal against the order.

Disposing of Bajaj’s appeal, the LG observed that the “penalty of compulsory retirement” is grossly disproportionate for him. “LG has observed that the penalty of compulsory retirement is grossly disproportionate and Harish Bajaj, who was deputy secretary (labour department), is liable to be held responsible for gross dereliction in the discharge of his duties and responsibilities and for proven misconduct, the ends of justice would be met by imposing an appropriate major penalty, and therefore, proposed to enhance the penalty to dismissal from service,” the official added. To be sure, the lieutenant governor is the appellant authority in such cases.

LG office said that Bajaj in his appeal did not deny having registered the said lands. “In support of his misconduct, he had contended the sub-registrar performs his duties under the provisions of the Registration Act 1908. As per Rule 42, the sub-registrar has nothing to do with the ‘title of land’ and a sub-registrar is under no obligation to verify the title of property before registering it. However, the LG ruled that the averments of the officer were misleading and he had blatantly disregarded government orders and circulars,” the official from the LG office said.

However, according to the official, the LG ruled that Bajaj’s arguments were “misleading” and he had “blatantly disregarded government orders and circulars” in the registration of 57 instruments pertaining to government land “without even obtaining the status report of the land from the competent authority”.