DDA scam: Police sending team to UP

Delhi Police is planning to send a team to Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh after it came to light that a retired DDA employee, who was arrested in the flat fraud case, applied for the dwellings in the name of people from that district.

Delhi Police is planning to send a team to Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh after it came to light that a retired DDA employee, who was arrested in the flat fraud case, applied for the dwellings in the name of people from that district.

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M L Gautam (64), who retired from DDA's telephone department in 2004, had allegedly filed around 1,200 application forms for flats earmarked for SC/STs and got 40 in the draw of lots.

Majority of the applications Gautam filed were in the name of people from Uttar Pradesh, especially Bulandshahar.

"We are sending a team to Bulandshahr to track applicants and allottees of DDA flats as Gautam's interrogation has revealed that he had applied in the name of people from this UP town," a senior police official said.

Gautam was arrested on Thursday following his alleged involvement in the alleged conspiracy along with property dealers to corner DDA flats reserved for SC/STs by applying in the name of people belonging to these communities.

Besides Gautam, three others who were allegedly involved in the fraud were also arrested by the Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police's Crime Branch.

According to police, it was Gautam who allegedly gave the idea of cornering DDA flats and then selling it for high prices to Deepak Kumar, a law graduate who was arrested, and others.

Police have seized a number of documents, including details of around 1,200 applications and power of attorneys from Gautam's residence. Sources said Gautam had allegedly procured power of attorneys from successful allottees in the name of his relatives including his son Rakesh.