HC asks CBI to nab housing scam guilty

The Delhi High Court today asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to arrest those involved in the Rs 4,000-crore co-operative group housing societies scam in the Capital.

While hearing a petition filed by the accused Gokul Aggarwal, who was arrested by the CBI last night, a division bench comprising Justices Vijender Jain and Rekha Sharma directed the agency not to spare anyone.

The court also issued notice to the CBI on an application moved by Aggarwal accusing it of sabotaging the investigations. It asked the CBI to file its reply by December 15, the next date of hearing.

Meanwhile, counsel Harish Gulati, appearing for the CBI, informed the court that the agency had yesterday arrested six persons, including an official of the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, in connection with the scam of six months ago.

In his affidavit, Aggarwal has named ten persons allegedly involved in the scam.

Senior counsel P N Lekhi, appearing for Aggarwal, said the arrest of his client was "unjustified" as he had been co-operating with the investigating agency in the probe.

The court had earlier directed the CBI to constitute a special investigation team to investigate the scam in which several builders, the staff of the registrar of co-operative societies and the Delhi Development Authority and certain politicians belonging to the Congress and the BJP are allegedly involved.