IAS officer, former YEIDA CEO among 21 booked in land scam

GREATER NOIDA: The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), on Sunday, registered a police complaint of land scam worth Rs 85.49 crore against 21 persons including an IAS officer, a former CEO with YEIDA, at Kasna police station of Greater Noida.

Police have registered an FIR against the EX-CEO P C Gupta, present Tehsildaar Suresh Chandra Verma and others under IPC sections of fraud and cheating, said police.

The matter came to light when the authority conducted an inquiry in the suspected cases of land acquisition. Prabhat Kumar, Chairman YEIDA ordered the inquiry into the matter and upon irregularities found, the authority filed a police complaint based on the directions given by the Chairman and an FIR got registered into the matter.

According to the officials of Yamuna Authority, the former CEO was involved in a land acquisition matter in which the official along with his family members and relatives allegedly purchased the land from farmers at lower rates and sold it to authority at around double rates which made a huge financial loss to the authority.

“The land that had been used in the scam is of no use but the then CEO of Yamuna authority acquired the land in order to build a not needed entry exit ramp under Yamuna Expressway. The land falls under the jurisdiction of YEIDA and is located in Mathura district but neither the concessionaire of the E-way nor the authority felt any need of the land. Based on the inquiry ordered, it came to light that the land was purchased just to benefit the near relatives and self,” said a senior police officer of Yamuna Authority.

Officials said that around 57 hectare of land worth Rs 85.49 crore in Bajna area of Mathura was purchased as a part of land scam.

Meanwhile, the Gautam Buddh Nagar police have ordered an Inquiry into the case and said that they have formed teams to probe into the matter.

“Based on the complaint, an FIR under IPC sections of 420 (cheating), 467 (Forgery), 471, and 468 has been registered and probe is underway. We will record statements and will take actions into the matter against those who will be found guilty,” said Ajay Pal Sharma, Superintendent of Police, Gautam Buddh Nagar.