The vigilance and anti-corruption bureau of Himachal Pradesh Tuesday inspected the upcoming luxury housing project here being promoted by Bemloe Development and Infrastructure Company, which is facing allegations of wrongdoing in getting clearances for the project.
A case under sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code and Section 33 of the Indian Forest Act was registered against the builder last year.
Officials of the state revenue department along with vigilance bureau personnel inspected the land where the housing project is coming up to see if there was any deviation or violation or encroachment of government land by the project promoters, a senior investigating official told IANS.
He said the entire piece of land under the possession of the builder was measured and the trees were counted.
The ruling Congress, when in the opposition, had demanded an investigation alleging that the then Bharatiya Janata Party government, in violation of environmental and land laws, granted all clearances to Bemloe Development in a single day.
The builder is constructing the apartments in the green belt of Kanlog area under the name Samatara apartments.
"It has been revealed during the preliminary inquiry that a forged application and false documents were prepared to cheat the government and to give wrongful gain to Bemloe Development and wrongful loss to the government by hatching a criminal conspiracy," a vigilance department statement had said.
The ruling party has demanded scrapping of the project as it is located in a thickly forested area and the builder cut dozens of trees overnight. The builder, however, denies the allegations.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist has alleged that Bemloe Development was a proxy for Delhi-based real estate giant DLF.
