Allahabad High Court orders CBI probe in encroachment of govt land by builder in Lucknow

Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into encroachment of irrigation department's land in Ahimamau locality in the state capital by a prominent developer.

Promoter Ansal API is facing allegations of encroaching the irrigation department's land for its township and planning to later sell it to a prominent educational institution and other persons.

A single-judge bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh ordered the CBI to constitute an SIT and probe encroachment of irrigation department's land by the developer. The court passed the order on the petition of Bharat Kishore Sinha.

The court also directed the CBI to submit a final report of the probe in court by August 22. It also directed the agency to submit a monthly progress report of the case.

The court directed the CBI to submit the first monthly progress of the case on May 24.

In addition to this, the court directed the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) and housing and urban planning department to make available all relevant documents to the CBI related with the case.

On orders of the court, the CBI's Superintendent of Police, Shivani Tewari had appeared before the court.

CBI lawyer Anurag Singh apprised the court that an SIT would be constituted under the SP and it would take four months to submit the preliminary investigation report.

The CBI lawyer also assured the court that the progress report of the investigation will be submitted in court every month.

Following assurance of the CBI lawyer, the court observed, "Considering the aforesaid submissions on behalf of the CBI, CBI director should constitute an SIT, for which the decision has already been taken, and the SIT will submit a progress report before this court on or before May 24, 2023."

"The final report should be submitted by August 22, 2023. The said SIT will work under the supervision of joint director, CBI, Lucknow region," added the court.

On behalf of the state government, chief standing counsel (I), advocate Prashant Singh apprised the court that a vigilance probe was already on into this case. He also informed the court that encroachment on the land had been removed.

The case is listed for the next hearing on May 5.