Recently, the Supreme Court of India has directed a "fact-finding committee" established by the Uttar Pradesh government to promptly examine the records of Noida authorities. The committee is tasked with delivering a report within two weeks concerning allegations of substantial, unauthorized payments made to landowners as compensation without proper entitlement.
However, the Supreme Court also stressed the importance of conducting a "fair and independent investigation" into the issue.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan ordered the committee named as "SIT" to file its report within two weeks to the court.
"It is made clear that no further time shall be granted for the said purpose," the bench said.
The bench also said, "After perusal of the report to be produced before this court, the desirability of issuing directions for an independent and fair investigation will be considered on the next date of hearing".
The court has scheduled a follow-up hearing for November 2, 2023, to continue deliberating on the matter.
The Additional Advocate General, appearing for UP government , informed the court that a committee consisting of three officials, including a police officer with the rank of Additional Director General of Police for the Meerut Zone, had been established. The committee's mandate is to investigate cases in which the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority might have made unauthorized compensation payments in cooperation and conspiracy with NOIDA officers and the recipients of those payments.
"Though the said committee has been nomenclatured as 'SIT’ but it appears to us that it is essentially a Fact Finding Committee," the bench said.
Last Month, UP government sought time to seek instructions in the matter.
While considering a plea for pre-arrest bail filed by Virendra Singh Nagar, the court became aware of an FIR (First Information Report) implicating two Noida officers and a landowner. The FIR alleged that they had been involved in a criminal conspiracy resulting in the improper payment of compensation amounting to Rs 7,26,80,427 without any legitimate entitlement.
The FIR was registered with Police Station Sector-20, Noida, District Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 120B IPC and Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
"During the course of hearing, it transpires that the reported case is not the sole instance and there are numerous cases in which the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority has paid compensation to the land owners, without any entitlement in law, prima facie for extraneous considerations," the bench said.
"In our considered view, it cannot be done at the instance of one or two officers of the Authority. Prima facie, the entire Noida set up appears to be involved. In such circumstances, it appears to us necessary to refer the matter to some independent agency for a deeper probe and to unearth the truth".
Case Title: VIRENDRA SINGH NAGAR V. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH & ANR.
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