Ex-DDA official held for seeking bribe to resettle slum dwellers

After at least 77 people filed complaints alleging that they had had been asked to pay bribe by a senior official of Delhi Development Authority (DDA), a former assistant director of the agency was arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Police said in 2006, the jhuggis of 77 people in Pitampura were demolished by the agency, and M C Chopra was then the assistant director, DDA. The residents were to be rehabilitated to Bawana, Outer Delhi.

The complaints allege that when the residents met Chopra, he demanded Rs 10,000 to Rs 35,000 as bribe from each of the them to hand out ownership of plots in Bawana.

The complainants told police that they could not gather the sum and none of them was allotted a plot. Following this, they approach a South Delhi-based NGO, which helped them file the complaints.

"During the investigation, two persons who had been allotted the plots came forward and turned witness for police. The two showed us that they had been offered by a plot by Chopra in 2006, after they paid him the bribe amount. Our inquiry revealed that Chopra was very much at fault, after which we registered a case and arrested him under Sections 7 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act," a police source said.

The inquiry, police said, also revealed that Chopra is not new to controversy.

The probe revealed that when Chopra was posted as Superintendent of Lease Administration Branch, in Rohini, disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against him for alleged misconduct, police said.

Chopra, who was responsible for verifying the signature of two allotees for a Rohini plot, had verified the signature of a man who had died three years ago. The disciplinary committee, on completion of its inquiry, had reportedly withheld his increment for two years after he was chargesheeted.

ALSO READ

Noida Authority cleans up city for ADB summit

Science students to get BTech degrees in DU’s 4-yr format

Day after inaugural, new-look ISBT returns to its old ways

City's oldest ISBT gets a new look