CGHS scam: Court frames charges against ex-registrar

Seven years after the Delhi High Court ordered a CBI probe into the R4000-crore Co-operative Group Housing Scheme scam (CGHS) in the Capital, a special court on Monday framed charges against alleged kingpin Narayan Diwakar and four other persons.

Seven years after the Delhi High Court ordered a CBI probe into the Rs. 4000-crore Co-operative Group Housing Scheme scam (CGHS) in the Capital, a special court on Monday framed charges against alleged kingpin Narayan Diwakar and four other persons.

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Special CBI judge RP Pandey framed charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and corruption against Diwakar, the former registrar of the co-operative society (RCS) official, Ram Nath and Faiz Mohammed, former inspectors of RCS, and Anna Wankhede and DN Sharma, officials of the defunct Taj Society, holding that prima facie case was made out against them.

“I find that a prima facie case to frame charges under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with sections 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery) and 471 (using forged documents) of IPC and section 13 (2) read with 13(1)(d) (relating to criminal misconduct by a public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 is made out against accused Wankhede, Diwakar, Sharma, Ram Nath and Faiz Mohd,” the court said.

The court, however, let off Srichand, a builder, saying the agency had not found sufficient evidence against him.

The CBI, which registered a case on July 29, 2005 against six persons, accused them of fraudulently and dishonestly reviving Taj CGHS on the basis of bogus and fake documents with the sole intention to get land allotted from DDA at a cheaper rate.

It alleged that the Taj housing society was set up in 1972 and wound up in 1979 by RCS, but Diwakar allegedly approved the proposal to revive it with the help of forged documents and signatures in connivance with other accused persons on March 11, 2004.

CBI has further alleged that the builder mafia conspired with RCS and exploited provisions of Delhi Co-operative Societies (DCS) Act that allows the revival of wound-up societies.