LG Saxena sacks DDA official in Safdarjung land allotment fraud

The matter remained dormant for nearly 40 years, until a sudden flurry of emails in July 2020 revived the claim.

Lieutenant governor VK Saxena has dismissed an assistant section officer (ASO) of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) from service for his role in an alleged fraudulent land allotment in south Delhi’s Safdarjung Enclave, officials from the LG’s office said on Tuesday.

Delhi LG VK Saxena (File photo)

The case, which dates back to 2020, had earlier led to the dismissal of an assistant director (AD) of the DDA. In his latest order, the LG has also directed the agency to review the penalty imposed on a deputy director (DD), now retired, under the applicable conduct rules to ensure that there is no legal gap in action.

“The DD, along with his colleagues, facilitated the allotment of land worth crores on the basis of forged and fictitious documents, in connivance with a beneficiary who staked claim to an alternative plot more than four decades after the initial recommendation,” an official said.

The case traces back to 1979, when the land and building department of the Delhi administration recommended allotting an alternative plot to one Prabha Kshetrapal. But in 1981, the department ordered that no action be taken on such recommendations unless confirmed by the secretary or joint secretary.

The matter remained dormant for nearly 40 years, until a sudden flurry of emails in July 2020 revived the claim. Two emails purportedly from Kshetrapal pressed the DDA to hand over possession of the land. The DDA then sought confirmation from the land and building department.

“In October and November 2020, two letters appeared to clear the allotment, which were later found to be forged. Acting on these, the DDA handed over possession of the plot to Kshetrapal on January 5, 2021. The following month, when the DDA sought verification, the land and building department confirmed that the 1979 recommendation had never been issued. One of the 2020 letters was entirely fabricated, while the other had been altered,” the official said. The allotment was cancelled in June 2021.

On the advice of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), common disciplinary proceedings were initiated against the DD, AD and ASO, who were charged with failing to exercise due diligence while processing a four-decade-old recommendation, ignoring signature and document discrepancies, bypassing verification procedures such as in-person cross-checks, and disregarding prior alerts about over 120 fraudulent recommendation cases.

“The officers showed unusual promptness in reviving a case after 40 years, pointing to collusion with outsiders for mala fide gains,” the official added.

While the AD was dismissed earlier this year, the LG has now enhanced the ASO’s penalty to dismissal from service. For the DD, who had approved the allotment, Saxena has asked the DDA to examine his role under Regulation 32(G) of the DDA Conduct Rules, which provides for penalties against retired employees.