The Delhi High Court has recently given directions to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to ‘take appropriate steps, in accordance with law’ in a case regarding the various properties  spread across prime locations in the national Capital, allotted by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) based on ‘allegedly forged letters’ from the Land & Building Department (L&BD) over the span of 40 years.

“The petition has brought to light certain alarming details about various properties allotted by the DDA based on allegedly forged letters from the L&BD. These properties are spread across Delhi and are of significant value, potentially worth crores of rupees,” said a single-judge bench of Justice Prathiba Singh in its March 18 order.

Keeping in mind the gravity of the allegations, the court referred the case to CBI. “Given the gravity of the allegations, which suggest not only a breach of trust but also a blatant disregard for Rule of law governing public land allocation, there is an urgent need for an investigation that is both thorough and impartial.

Thus, this Court is of the opinion that the present writ be considered as a complaint for the CBI to take appropriate steps, in accordance with law,” stated the order.

The court also highlighted that the revelations made during the writ petition ‘raises concerns about systemic vulnerabilities within these (DDA and L&BD department) authorities’ and ‘presents a significant challenge to the integrity of public administration and trust’.