Non-bailable warrants against seven former YEIDA officials in Rs 126-crore land scam

Non-bailable warrants were issued Monday against seven former officials of the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) over an alleged Rs 126 crore land fraud case, police said. Six people have been arrested so far in the five-year-old case in which 21 people, including a former IAS officer, who has also served as the authority's chairman, were named in the FIR, the police said. According to the police, the accused YEIDA officials, including former CEO P C Gupta, in tie-up with some private firms had purchased around 57 hectare "useless" land in 2014 from seven villages of Mathura in lieu of compensation to their owners by the authority. But the compensation amount was much higher than what was defined by the authority for such purchases. Also in doing so, the accused not only caused loss to the YEIDA, but also made personal gains fraudulently, Circle Officer of Greater Noida 1st Nishank Sharma said. The non-bailable warrants have been issued against Satish Kumar Singhal, the then YEIDA deputy CEO; Ranveer Singh, Veerpal Singh, the then officer on special duty (OSD); Brajesh Kumar, manager (planning); Pankaj Kumar, the then lekhpal; Chaman Singh, nayabtehsildar; Suresh Chandra Sharma, the then tehsildar, Sharma said. "All the seven YEIDA officials named in the FIR are absconding and we will step action to ensure their arrest with the non-bailable warrants," he said. The officer said that notices will be issued to them and appeals made to surrender themselves to the police, or then as per the law, action will be taken to attach their properties under relevant sections of the CrPC. In June this year, the YEIDA had submitted a complaint against 21 people at the Kasna police station in Greater Noida over the alleged land fraud in 2013-2014. Gupta, who was also the chief executive officer of YEIDA during the time the case transpired was held this June from Datia in Madhya Pradesh, while four others including directors of a builder's firms and middlemen were held earlier this month.