new delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday raided four locations in Delhi, Panchkula and Chandigarh after registering a case alleging that Gurugram's Ambience Mall was built illegally in alleged connivance of erstwhile officials of Haryana Urban Development Authority and the Department of Town and Country Planning.
Officials here said on Monday that the case had been registered based on an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, against Ambience Group and its company Ambience Developers and Infrastructure along with CMD Raj Singh Gehlot and "unidentified" officials of HUDA and DTCP. Gehlot's premises were also raided by CBI sleuths on Monday.
"The case is related to alleged illegal construction of commercial building at approximately 18.98 acre of land in Gurugram (Gurgaon, Haryana) by blatantly flouting the building by-laws and statutory provisions in collusion with others," CBI Spokesperson RK Gaur said.
The searches were spread across Gehlot's residence in Hauz Khas, company office at Green Park in Delhi, HUDA office in Panchkula and TCP office in Sector 18, Chandigarh.
The high court had in its order of July 10 sought a separate investigation by the CBI to probe alleged illegal actions, if any, and possible collusion between the builder and state authorities. It was hearing a PIL that had alleged that the Ambience group had violated building regulations and used land meant for the development of a group housing project to build a commercial establishment.
The petitioners had alleged before the high court that 18.98 acres of land on Delhi-Jaipur National Highway in Gurgaon earmarked for Ambience Lagoon Island Residential Complex was reduced to just 7.9 acres with a commercial complex erected on the remaining land.
In its order, the high court pointed out that the group had not submitted layout plans to the required authorities and that it had also not conformed to the Pro-forma of paperwork. It also held that the then Director of DTCP had in 2010 allowed "de-licensing" of part of the land to allow commercial construction, in violation of provisions and powers espoused under the relevant legislation.