New Delhi:
The entire civic system in the national capital has collapsed and corruption was one of the contributing factors, a Delhi court said as it sent an MCD official to six years in jail for allowing unauthorised construction.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on MCD junior engineer Ram Kumar Singh, 53, saying he had abused his official position to allow two builders, also convicted in the case, to carry out unauthorised construction of 15 flats in a prime location in East Delhi's Shakarpur area.
The court jailed builders Anil Kumar Arora, 53, and Rakesh Aggarwal, 45, for six and three-and-a half years and imposed a fine of Rs 40 lakh and 15 lakh on Arora and Aggarwal respectively.
"This court is of the considered opinion that in Delhi city, the entire civic system has been collapsed wherein corruption is a contributing factor. If unauthorised construction takes place, then definitely it is a challenge to law and order situation," Special CBI Judge Jitendra Kumar Mishra said.
"Corruption has spread to such an extent in the society that it becomes a disease among professionals, medical professionals, educational professionals or even the custodian of the nation i.e. politicians of this country," he said.
According to CBI, Singh conspired with the two builders and knowingly did not take action to demolish the properties. He caused pecuniary gains to the two builders who built a total of 15 flats in two properties without any sanctioned plan after demolishing the old structure and sold them to innocent buyers by deceitful means, the agency said.
"Definitely, ... it is the case where Singh intentionally kept his eyes closed on what was going on towards the activity of Arora and Aggarwal ... there was intentional conspiracy by joining hands by all the convicts, such crime was not possible," the court observed.
"No corruption can take place until and unless the public opinion gives it sanctity. Sanctity only comes when it becomes the lifestyle of people of the country," the court said.
It said the illegal nexus of builder and public servant was of such a nature that the convicts did not have any fear or respect of the law, but flouted all laws to make themselves rich at the cost of others.