Cops to book top Noida authority officials for Sec 37 hotel land scam

Noida: The Noida police will book more than a dozen top officials of the Noida authority for allowing the construction of a hotel on government land. The district administration on June 9 sealed the hotel, Golf View, in Sector 37.  The police on June 2 lodged an FIR against the owner and five others.
The move came after the Allahabad High Court on June 8 dismissed a petition seeking quashing of an FIR against six individuals who had allegedly grabbed the land and constructed the luxury hotel.

Gautam Budh Nagar senior superintendent of police (SSP) Praveen Kumar said, “Several names, including those of officials working with the authority and those posted in other cities now, have come up. We will soon lodge a named FIR.”

“We have examined the case-related documents and conclude that the fraud could not have been committed without the consent of top bosses, planners and engineers,” the SSP said.

Police said land belonging to a village body worth R11 crore near Sector 37 was illegally sold four times. The scam first came to light on June 2 when on the state government’s complaints, the Noida authority, district administration and the police swung into action to check the legality of the said land.

Police said some influential people on August 25, 2010, got the authority’s notification for planned development on the said land cancelled to cover-up the fraud.

The hotel’s construction started on March 28, 2010 but the project’s map was passed by zila panchayat on July 23, 2010.

“The police have registered a criminal case against the directors of Golflink Hospitality Pvt Ltd, Devendra Kumar Gangal and Vidya Devi, besides four others,” said an authority official.   Source>>>