HC expresses concern over delay in West Delhi mall fraud probe, seeks status report

New Delhi [India], June 3 (ANI): The Delhi High Court has directed the sanctioning authority of the Delhi government to submit a status report in relation to investigation into the alleged West Delhi mall fraud.
During the hearing on May 28, the bench, led by Justice Shailender Kaur, voiced concern over the prolonged delay in granting the necessary sanction and directed the authority to provide a detailed explanation within six weeks.
The court acknowledged submissions from the Anti-Corruption Branch, which indicated that, despite multiple communications, approval to proceed against key public officials had not yet been granted.
According to the petition, the case involves allegations of irregularities amounting to Rs 200 crore related to the commercial use of a mall property originally leased to SS Con-Build Private Limited.
The plea further stated that despite the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) terminating the lease in January 2020 due to unpaid dues, reports suggest that commercial operations continued through the use of forged documents, shell companies, and alleged collusion of government officials.
Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa, along with Advocates Gaurav Gupta and Thakur Ankit Singh, represented the petitioner. The court has scheduled the matter for further hearing in August 2025.
A coordinating bench of the Delhi High Court has recently issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding a petition alleging large-scale corruption involving senior government officials and real estate developers in a multi-crore land scam.
The petition was filed by a former director of SS Con Build Pvt Ltd, who claims to have been wrongfully removed from the company through fraudulent means. Justice Girish Kathpalia, after considering the arguments presented, directed the CBI to respond to the allegations. (ANI)