Noida land scam: Court rejects bail to real estate director

A director of a real estate firm, who was accused in a cheating case relating to a land scam in Noida, has been denied bail by a Delhi court which said it is a matter of concern that agricultural land is being taken over by land mafia with political support without any fear of law.
Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau also pulled up the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police for failing to probe the involvement of officials of Noida administration.
"Keeping in view the huge capital involved, I am convinced that this certainly cannot happen without the association, knowledge and patronage of the officials of the local administration and the politicians of the area.

"Strange it is, that no investigation with regard to the involvement of the officials of the local administration have been carried out so far," the judge said.
The court dismissed the bail plea of Shivender Singh, director of Sarveshwari Pvt Ltd and accused of conspiring with other co-accused in misrepresenting and concealing facts from complainant company Mohan Built and Developers Pvt Ltd causing it a loss of Rs 12.5 crore.
The court rejected the bail plea of Singh, arrested in November 2013, on the ground that his father Mahender Singh, who is a co-accused in the case, was still absconding and the allegations made against him were of serious nature.

"The investigation with regard to the role of other persons are yet underway and I find no ground to grant any indulgence to accused Shivender Singh whose bail application is hereby dismissed," the judge said.

The court also dismissed the bail plea of co-accused Pramod Sharma on similar grounds.
"The present case relates to a large-scale land scam as regards agricultural land situated at prime location in the area of Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
"The manner in which the fertile agricultural land from where the food requirements of the country are being fulfilled is being taken over, rather is being run-over by the land mafia without any fear of law on account of the huge political and social patronage which these so called violators enjoy, is a matter of national concern," it said.