Noida land scam: SC reduces sentence of ex-UP chief secy

 The Supreme Court today upheld the conviction of former UP chief secretary Neera Yadav in a land allotment scam from 1993-95 in Noida but reduced her jail term from three to two years.

A bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and R Banumathi also upheld the conviction of former IAS officer Rajiv Kumar in the case and modified his jail term from three to two years.

The CBI had alleged that Yadav, a 1971 batch IAS officer, was chief executive officer of Noida in 1995 when she violated norms in allotting a prime plot of land to an industrialist.

It was alleged that she entered into a criminal conspiracy with 1983-batch IAS officer, Rajiv Kumar, then deputy chief executive officer, Noida, to change land use of a plot which was earmarked for a guesthouse and also increased its area in violation of norms.

The probe agency had said that Yadav, during her tenure as Noida CEO, misused her official position as a public servant and got herself allotted a plot in violation of norms.

"The allotment was done despite the fact that the application submitted by her was incomplete in many respects and was submitted after the closing date of the scheme," CBI had said.

It was also alleged that she got two plots allotted in the names of her two daughters, knowing full well that rules in Noida permitted only one plot of land to one family.