SC orders UP govt's SIT to file report in 2 weeks on illegal payment to landowner without entitlements

The Supreme Court on Thursday indicated its intention to order a "fair and independent" investigation into the payment of crores of rupees as compensation to landowners in Noida, near the national capital, without any legal entitlement, and in collusion with senior officers.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta, and Ujjal Bhuyan, however, took note of Uttar Pradesh's submission that it had formed a high-level committee, including the Additional Director General of Police, Meerut Zone, to investigate the matter.

The bench directed the committee to submit its report to the court within two weeks, making it clear that no further time would be granted to it.

After reviewing the report to be presented to the court, the bench stated that the "desirability of issuing directions for an independent and fair investigation will be considered on the next date of hearing."

The court scheduled the matter for consideration on November 2, 2023.

The matter before the court related to a plea by Virendra Singh Nagar, who is a Law Officer in Noida, seeking pre-arrest bail.

Nagar approached the top court after rejection of his anticipatory bail application by the Allahabad High Court.

An FIR was registered in 2021 against the petitioner, Dinesh Kumar Singh, and Ramwati under sections 420, 468, 471, 120B of IPC read with a section of Prevention of Corruption Act, for causing wrongful loss to Noida authority.

It was alleged that the petitioner, in gross dereliction of its duty and without verifying the genuineness of the payment of compensation application of Smt Ramwati, recommended for payment of the compensation of over Rs 7 crores.

The court noted during the hearing that the reported case was not an isolated incident, and there were numerous cases in which the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority had paid compensation to landowners without any legal entitlement, presumably for improper reasons.

“In our considered view, it cannot be done at the instance of one or two officers of the Authority. Prima facie, the entire Noida set up appears to be involved. In such circumstances, it appears to us necessary to refer the matter to some independent agency for a deeper probe and to unearth the truth”, the apex court had said in its September 14 order.