Flat scam: no ‘cognizable offence’,police yet to file FIR

Sources in the EOW said that till now they have found that some people,who didn’t have personal mobile phones or landline numbers,have either given their neighbour’s number on the DDA form,or in villages in Rajasthan,some people who couldn’t fill the forms,have taken the help of literate people who have also applied for the flats.

“The person filling the form has given his number on his form and on the other person’s form too. This seems to be the reason for confusion among complainants. We have not detained any chartered accountant,” an officer said.

Meanwhile,the EOW has come under pressure ever since Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna asked it to investigate the matter. Yesterday,the EOW reportedly changed the investigation officer (IO),SI Kumar Kundan. Now,the case is being handled by Inspector Vinod Gandhi,and SI Kundan is helping him in the probe along with SI Keshav Mathur.

“We have not found any cognizable offence in the matter yet. The complaint and claims are being verified. No one is being questioned from the DDA or anywhere else yet. Once we find out about any forgery,we will register a case,” Rajan Bhagat,Delhi Police PRO,said.

Additional Commissioner of Police (EOW) S B K Singh didn’t comment on the matter and said,“We are carrying out our investigations and I would not like to share anything.”

The Delhi Police is also investigating whether the DDA website was hacked. Bank accounts of some property dealers are also being checked.

Normal course of allotment
Newsline looks at the normal process of allotting a flat. This is how the DDA carried out allotments for its 2006 Housing Scheme,in which it allotted 3,000 flats from over 2 lakh applicants.

* Applications invited and accepted by DDA
* SC/ST certificates checked with applications for reserved category
* Applicants requested to name preferences such as a ground floor flat etc
* Pan numbers,bank documents verified
* After initial verification,draw of lots takes place
* For reserved category applicants,DDA sends out documents to respective SDMs/tehsildars (even to places like Jharkhand and Chattisgarh) for verification
* 350 applicants rejected for giving fraudulent information,money forfeited
* Within a month they receive confirmation for all successful allottees,after which demand letters are sent out
* Successful applicants are asked to confirm and make full payment within 180 days of receiving letters
* Applicants are asked to be physically present at DDA headquarters with all documents for a third check. They are also required to submit affidavits proclaiming that they don’t possess any other DDA flat and that the documents submitted are genuine
* Eight months later,successful applicants receive physical possession of flats