New Delhi, Aug 13 (UNI) The Supreme Court today ordered the constitution of a new three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe alleged irregularities in the functioning of the NOIDA Authority, including claims of inflated land acquisition compensation and possible collusion between officials and landowners.
A Bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the directions after examining a report from the earlier SIT, which flagged serious lapses in governance and transparency.
The court was hearing a matter linked to the anticipatory bail plea of a NOIDA law officer accused of facilitating unjustified compensation to ineligible landowners.
The previous SIT had identified 20 instances where landowners allegedly received exorbitant payments and named NOIDA officials suspected of wrongdoing.
It also noted that decision-making within the authority was concentrated in a small group, lacked transparency, and disproportionately benefited developers.
The report recommended examining bank accounts, assets, and financial transactions of the implicated officers, their family members, and beneficiaries.
Key Supreme Court Directions are that the Uttar Pradesh DGP must constitute a new SIT of three IPS officers to probe specific issues highlighted in the earlier report, particularly overpayment of compensation and potential collusion.
The SIT must immediately register preliminary enquiries, with assistance from forensic experts and the State Economic Offences Wing (EoW).
If a prima facie offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act is found, the competent authority must grant sanction for prosecution within two weeks.
The SIT’s report must be submitted to the UP Chief Secretary, who will place it before the Council of Ministers for action.
A Chief Vigilance Officer, either from the IPS or deputed from the CAG, must be posted in NOIDA.
A Citizen Advisory Board must be set up within four weeks. No project in NOIDA shall proceed without a proper Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and approval by the Supreme Court’s green bench.
The matter will be heard again after eight weeks, with the SIT’s findings to remain in the custody of the Court Master until then.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had tasked the initial SIT with examining whether compensation payments exceeded court-determined entitlements, identifying the responsible officials, probing possible collusion, and assessing whether NOIDA’s overall functioning lacked transparency and fairness.
