‘Ex-AAG bought disputed property’

“During interrogation,Bansal had admitted to being one of the directors of this company (Premium Infracon),which had signed an agreement with one Vinod Tayal to purchase the property. Tayal confirmed having sold the property to Bansal and his associate,the sale deed of which was registered on December 31,2007,” reads the report.

Taking strong note of this,Justice Hemant Gupta has recalled an order dated September 28,2007,with regard to the property that was originally allotted to the deputy commissioner of Hisar.

This matter had hit the headlines in 2008 when it was reported that Bansal and his business partner,real estate dealer Rajiv Gupta (co-accused in the cash-at-judge’s-door case) had purchased the property much before it was to be restored to its owner,Vinod Tayal,a resident of Delhi.

On September 28,2007,the Haryana Advocate General had submitted “to withdraw the revision petition” filed by the Haryana government against the orders of the lower court,directing the government to vacate the property. Following this,Justice Hemant Gupta had held this revision petition “dismissed as withdrawn”. Justice Gupta had directed the Hisar DC to vacate the property by December 31,2008,provided the government furnished an undertaking to the effect.

In November 2008,after the media highlighted the issue that Bansal had purchased the property,the Haryana government moved an application,requesting the High Court to recall the September 2007 order. It said in the wake of the cash-at-judge’s-door case,it was being felt that Bansal was behind the withdrawal of the petition. It had been reported in the media that Bansal had entered into an agreement with the owner of this property to purchase it.

“Once a doubt has been cast on the actions of senior functionaries of the AG office in order to create an impression that the case was decided to favour the landlords,it is a sufficient ground to recall this order,” the Haryana government had submitted in its application.

Smelling a rat,the court had directed the CBI to produce its report with regard to the disputed property. The confidential report was produced on Friday.

The court held: “It is suffice to state on the basis of the CBI communication that an agreement dated April 26,2007,was executed by Vinod Kumar Tayal with Sanjeev Bansal.” It pointed out that the property had been sold in favour of Premium Infracon for Rs 11.5 crore. Rajiv Gupta is one of the directors of the company.

Justice Gupta said: “It’s evident that the property was agreed to be sold even before the revision petition of the Haryana government came up for hearing before this court.” He observed that this showed that the owner of the property (Vinod Tayal) prima facie had not sought an eviction of the state government. The HC allowed the application of the government to recall the order. The property will remain in the possession of the Haryana government till further orders.

Talking to Newsline,meanwhile,Sanjeev Bansal admitted that he had issued the cheque. “I have a 10 per cent share in the property. It’s not a government property. There is no bar on me purchasing the property. I need not have indulged in any unfair trade practice.”