DLF case: CBI closes probe against MoUD officials

A senior CBI official said, “We may question the decision, but it is not illegal. It is a policy decision and the MoUD was well within the legal framework.”

On the basis of a complaint received through the Central Vigilance Commission, the CBI had registered a PE against unknown officials of the ministry in July last year.

The DLF had got the ministry’s nod to construct a four-storey luxury apartment complex on the land, but the second proposal to raise it to eight storeys faced objection from the Delhi Police, which referred it to another security review. Meanwhile, the CVC referred the matter to the CBI and the apex investigating agency sought comments from various agencies involved in the approval.

“A PE had been registered in July last year to look into the allegation of conversion of land use from dairy farming to residential. The PE was closed as no criminality was found,” said a CBI spokersperson.

The company, meanwhile, denied allegations of any wrongdoing. “M/s EKSPL was acquired by the company in a private transaction over a decade ago. The requisite approvals have been sought pursuant to court directions obtained after protracted litigation and by strictly following due process in this regard,” DLF said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

A single Bench of the Delhi High Court had in 2010 allowed EKSPL to use a 9.26-hectare dairy farm in the vicinity of Rashtrapati Bhavan for residential purposes after depositing conversion charges of Rs 1,200 crore with the government.

During the hearing, the Centre opposed the conversion, citing security concerns, and said the area in question is in the vicinity of Lutyens’ Bungalow Zone (LBZ) President’s Estate and involves security concerns.