SNS Sidhu had been avoiding CBI phone calls for three days
NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a director of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on charges of misusing of office, criminal conspiracy and forgery. This is the fifth arrest by the agency since the land scam came to light on August 6.
The recent arrest was made late on Thursday evening when SNS Sidhu, the director of slum development wing of MCD, was called for questioning by the agency.
"We tried to call him for three consecutive days but he did not come. We then arrested him when he finally came forward to help the agency in the investigations," said a senior officer.
"We had received several files from his office and residence where we had conducted raids a fortnight ago. He had also burnt a lot files after the scam came to light to protect himself from getting caught," added the officer.
According to the agency, they have recovered details of more than 5,500 plots that were meant for the rehabilitation of slum dwellers in the capital.
Sidhu along with other accomplices had forged the land documents and sold them to private builders at higher prices.
Sleuths have arrested Ashok Malhotra, a middleman, and Philip Toppo, deputy director MCD in the past. The agency claims that the three were working in connivance and had illegally sold several land plots. At least two officials of the Delhi Development Authority have also been arrested in the case.
