Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Mukesh Gupta 'unconstitutionally' purchased land by misusing power while holding a post in Special Area Development Authority (SADA), Bhilai alleged Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CGPCC) Chief Bhupesh Baghel.
Addressing media persons at Congress Bhavan on Sunday, Baghel said EOW should register a case against him and begin probe in connection with purchase of land by Gupta through 'unconstitutional' means.
The State Congress Chief further informed that during Gupta’s tenure as Superintendent of Police (SP) in Durg (between August 1996 and 1998), he was also office-bearer of SADA’s Governing Board in Bhilai.
During this period, Gupta had purchased land measuring around 6000 sq ft. in posh Nehru Nagar locality in Bhilai, he said.
In May 22, 1998, SADA approved the land allocation and on May 26, 1998, approval letter in this regard was issued. SADA has given the land to Gupta at the rate of Rs 13 per sq ft totalling around Rs 75,536 which was much lower than the market rate, Baghel alleged.
In June 8, 1998, SADA was dissolved by the State government in undivided Madhya Pradesh and the areas under it were merged with different civic bodies, he said, adding that till then, Gupta had not carried out land registry.
As per information received by Municipal Corporation from lokayukta Office (Ujjain) in 2008, a day after dissolving of SADA on June 9, 1998, Gupta had submitted a cheque numbering 644208 for land registry and the amount was credited to SADA’s account in June 13, 1998, said Baghel.
He further said that in 2001, Chhattisgarh State’s Town and Country Planning Department had issued a directive and termed works carried in the name of SADA as ‘unconstitutional’ as the Authority was dissolved in June 8, 1998 but by misusing his power, Gupta had managed to carry out registry of land which is 'unconstitutional' by nature, he said. later, the land was sold out to one Ashok Agrawal and Anita Agrawal for Rs 42 lakh in December 27, 2006, Baghel pointed out. Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CGPCC) President Bhupesh Baghel has got embroiled in a land grabbing controversy.