CBI – Seven Convicted in Lok Priya Housing Society Revival Fraud Case
CBI – A Delhi court has sentenced seven people, including two former government officials, after finding them guilty in a long-running case involving the illegal revival of a co-operative housing society and the use of forged records to obtain land.
A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in New Delhi has awarded prison terms to seven individuals in connection with the fraudulent revival of the Lok Priya Co-operative Group Housing Society (CGHS). The convicted include two former officials from the Registrar of Co-operative Societies (RCS) office and five private individuals who were found guilty after an extensive investigation and trial.
Court Awards Jail Term and Financial Penalties
According to an official statement issued on Saturday, former Registrar of Co-operative Societies R.K. Shrivastava and former Assistant Registrar P.N. Manchanda have each been sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 75,000 on both former public servants after holding them guilty of offences linked to criminal misconduct.
The remaining five convicts—K.K. Wadhwa, Anil Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Devender Pal Singh, and Ravi Saluja—have also received two years of rigorous imprisonment. In addition to the jail term, the court imposed financial penalties after convicting them on charges related to cheating, criminal conspiracy, and the use of forged and fabricated documents.
Investigation Began Nearly Two Decades Ago
The case dates back to September 2006, when the CBI launched an investigation into the alleged illegal revival of several defunct or dissolved Co-operative Group Housing Societies that had originally been registered during the 1970s and 1980s.
Investigators alleged that the accused worked together to restore the inactive Lok Priya CGHS through fraudulent means. The probe found that private individuals allegedly entered into a conspiracy with officials in the Registrar of Co-operative Societies office to facilitate the unlawful revival of the society.
Forged Records Used for Land Allotment
The investigation further revealed that fabricated documents were allegedly prepared and submitted to support the revival process. These documents were then reportedly used to obtain the allotment of land from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), giving the revived society an official status it was not legally entitled to receive.
The CBI maintained that the conspiracy relied on forged records and official support to bypass legal procedures governing the functioning and restoration of co-operative housing societies.
Charge Sheet and Trial Process
After completing its investigation, the CBI filed a charge sheet before the competent court in Delhi on January 27, 2008. The prosecution presented evidence during a lengthy judicial process that continued over several years.
Following the trial, the court convicted all seven accused on July 14. The sentencing order was delivered on July 30, with the court directing two years of rigorous imprisonment for each convict along with the applicable fines based on the offences that had been established during the proceedings.
Separate Financial Fraud Probe Continues
In a separate development announced earlier, the CBI recently carried out searches at 10 commercial and residential locations, including properties in Hyderabad and Vizianagaram, as part of an investigation into an alleged Rs 105.44 crore loan fraud involving NCS Sugars and Punjab National Bank.
During those searches, officials seized documents as well as digital devices that are expected to assist in the ongoing financial fraud investigation. The agency has indicated that further examination of the recovered material will form part of its continuing probe.