Probe ordered into ownership transfer of HSVP plot in Gurugram

As per the HSVP sector development plan, the authority is supposed to conduct a draw of lots for the general category and 21 reserved categories each, to allot the plots.

A local court on Tuesday asked the police to probe the transfer of ownership of a reserved category plot at Sector 57 — developed by the Haryana Shahri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) in 2002 — and to submit a compliance report in the next hearing, on March 27.

A local court on Tuesday asked the police to probe the transfer of ownership of a reserved category plot at Sector 57 — developed by the Haryana Shahri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) in 2002 — and to submit a compliance report in the next hearing, on March 27.(Photo by Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)(HT Photo)

The court move came in the backdrop of a complaint by a city-based right to information (RTI) activist who claimed the transfer was illegal and demanded cancellation of the allotment made to the original owner, as well as a police complaint against beneficiary under reserved category.

As per the HSVP sector development plan, the authority is supposed to conduct a draw of lots for the general category and 21 reserved categories each, to allot the plots.

In 2012, it was revealed though a Right to Information (RTI) application, that the draws for allotments of reserved category plots in Gurugram and other districts have been rigged over the years by the “land mafia” and officials. Many such beneficiaries forged documents to claim reserved category allotments in their favours, several of whom sold the plots to third parties later on.

As per the HSVP’s reserved category rule, each beneficiary (one per family) can avail the benefits of only one plot in the state, but investigations have revealed that several people have availed multiple allotments.

“In June 2013, I lodged a complaint with the chief minister’s flying squad of multiple allotments of HSVP reserved category plots against two persons whose names he received in response to an RTI application. The squad asked the police to lodge FIRs against the two — one from Gurugram and other from Sonepat. The accused moved the high court for bail, which the court rejected and ordered a thorough investigation into the matter,” SK Sharma, an RTI activist in the city, said.

“When it was in the high court, an HSVP official allowed the transfer of ownership of a reserved plot at Sector 57 in September 2013, which is illegal. After I found out about the transfer, I moved a local court, asking the police to register an FIR in the matter. The court took cognisance of my complaint and asked the police to probe the same,” Sharma said, demanding an FIR against HSVP officials and the plot beneficiary — a retired member of the defence forces.

The court asked the Sector 56 police station to probe the complaint.

Pradeep Kumar, SHO, Sector 56 police station, said, “We have not received any such order. We will definitely follow the court order once we get it.”

HSVP so far has lodged 1,500 FIRs in the state — of which 200 are from Gurugram.

Chander Shekhar Khare, HSVP administrator, said, “I will not comment in this regard since the matter is in court.”