HANUMAN STATUE LAND ISSUE: CBI FILES PRELIMINARY ENQUIRY

NEWDELHI: The CBI has begun its probe into alleged encroachment of land in the construction of the famous 108-feet-tall Hanuman temple and a car dealership agency in Karol Bagh area here, agency officials said.

The agency has initiated a preliminary enquiry to ascertain prima facie evidence of alleged criminality and involvement of civic body officials in permitting the structures, they said.

The action of the agency comes on the directions of the Delhi High Court which had instructed it to probe how the 108-feet-tall Hanuman statue, which has become a signature landmark of the national capital in movies, and the two-wheeler dealership encroached upon public land in the busy Karol Bagh area and the officials who allowed it to happen by “abusing their position”.

A bench of acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar had observed that the authorities were required to prevent such activities but it was a case of “abuse of power” by them and it was “completely reprehensible”.

After registering the preliminary enquiry, the agency has collected records from Delhi Police, the officials said.

A preliminary enquiry is first step to investigate an alleged crime.

During a preliminary enquiry, the CBI collects material to determine if there is a prima facie criminality, as alleged in the complaint.

If it finds enough material, it converts it into a regular case also known as an FIR else it is closed.