Noida: Rogue builders among 21 booked under Gangsters Act, properties attached

Tightening the noose on rogue builders, the Gautam Buddh Nagar administration on Wednesday booked seven persons, including directors, of a building firm under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters Act, officials said.

In total 21 persons were booked, including rogue builders, murder accused and robbers, under the UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Elements (Prevention) Act and orders were issued to attach their properties on Wednesday, district administration said.

Directors of Earth Iconic Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, Rajneesh Mittal, Awadhesh Goyal and Atul Gupta, along with associates Vikas Gupta, Amit Gupta, Magandeep Kaur, Bushra Alam andNishant Arora have been booked, officials said.

"In the name of developing a building in Noida's Sector 16 area, they had collected crores of rupees from innocent people doing (through) fraud and forgery. Their action has led to a scenario wherein people are living under fear of fraud when planning to buy a property," the administration said in an official letter, accessed by PTI.

 

There are cases of fraud and cheating and related offences under the Indian Penal Code registered against the firm and its officials at Noida's Sector 20 police station, the officials said.

Thirteen other persons from three different gangs and accused in cases of murder and robberies have been booked, they said.

Cases against them are registered at various police stations in Gautam Buddh Nagar, they added.

The latest action comes amid a continued crackdown on gangsters in the district, with the administration now attaching their properties and "ill-gotten" wealth under section 14 of the Gangsters Act.

According to section 14 of the Gangsters Act, a district magistrate can order attachment of a property, whether movable or immovable, if there is reason to believe that it has been acquired by a gangster as commission for an offence triable under this law.

"Under the provisions, the booked persons will be required to prove to the administration that their attached properties are not ill-gotten. They need to present evidence for their claims," a senior official told PTI.

Till September end 569 anti-social elements, including 150 gang leaders and their 419 associates, had been booked under the Gangsters Act and orders issued for attaching properties, as the administration targeted their finance sources.

The administration has written to all banks in the district to freeze the accounts of all the listed gang leaders and their associates and also monitor their transactions.

It has also written to all government departments including income tax, sales tax, sub-divisional magistrates and local authorities and the police stations to keep a check on their transactions and properties.

"The administration has also sought all related details about these gangsters from all departments within 15 days in order to proceed with further action," the official said.