Court orders FIR against Sushil Ansal, others in cheating case

NEW DELHI: A city court has directed the Delhi Police to file an FIR against Ansal Hi Tech Township Pvt Ltd and its top officials, including Sushil Ansal, in an alleged case of cheating and duping investors in a housing project.

Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma directed the SHO concerned to file the case against the firm, besides parent company Ansal API'S Chairman Sunil Ansal, Managing Director Pranav Ansal and others, and investigate the matter.

The court passed the order after going through the Action Taken Report (ATR) filed by the police which disclosed "exfacie commission of cognizable offences".

According to Prateek Tanwar, the counsel for the investors, the court also said the power to arrest the accused persons should be used by the police if it helps in the probe.

The court noted that field investigation by the police was required in the case.

According to the complaint filed by 14 investors, the builder had come out with a plan to develop a township – Sushant Magapolis – in 2008 in Greater Noida with an assurance of ontime compliance.

The builder had assured the investors that all zonal plans have been approved and the township shall have self- sustained civic services with best of amenities, the complaint said.

There were several complainants who had booked plots, finalised the builderbuyer agreements and made payments to the accused, it said.

After over five years of booking, no sign of development was visible and the investors wrote several letters to the accused who did not respond.

Neither the money was refunded to the complainants, nor was the property delivered to them, following which the matter was reported to police, the complaint said.

Sushil Ansal was recently spared by the Supreme Court from serving jail term due to his advanced age- related health problem in connection with 1997 Uphaar Cinema fire tragedy case in which 59 people had lost their lives, while his brother was sent to jail for a year.