7 ‘enemy properties’ sold for just Rs 5 lakh - Hindustan Times

7 ‘enemy properties’ sold for just Rs 5 lakh - Hindustan Times

New Delhi, January 19, 2011

It does not take much to own a property in a prime location in the city. Here’s how: first you find a property that belongs to a person who migrated to Pakistan during Partition and bribe some MCD officers to get the property mutated. In no time, and for a mere R5 lakh, you can be the proud owner

of a multi-crore property in Chandni Chowk.

Thanks to some corrupt officials in the MCD, seven ‘enemy properties’ (those left by families who migrated to Pakistan in 1947) whose sale and purchase is not allowed (as government is the sole custodian of these properties) were allegedly purchased illegally by two persons. The MCD’s property tax department carried out mutation of the property, too. A copy of the mutation papers are with HT.

All the seven properties—number 177, 183 to 188 on Church Mission Road, Fatehpuri have been purchased by two persons at a cost of just R5 lakh.

Each property is about 3,000 sq feet in area. As per the orders of the Lt. Governor and Delhi government, any sale or transaction of ‘listed’ Enemy property is void.

A complaint in this regard has been filed by Deepak Mehta, a tenant of one property which were illegally purchased by two men who are residents of Greater Kailash II and Yamuna Vihar.

“These properties have been declared ‘Enemy Property’ and are listed as such on the Delhi government’s Revenue department’s website. But they have been illegally purchased by two persons. I’ve been complaining about it but the MCD has not done anything till date. Also, the purchasers, in connivance with MCD officials, illegally got the property mutated in the name of the illegal purchaser in 2009 after offering bribe,” said Deepak Mehta, the complainant and occupier of property number 185, Church Mission Road.

MCD’s City zone office and the vigilance department confirmed receiving a complaint in this regard. “MCD undertakes property mutation on the basis of duly registered property sale deed(s). As the part of the mutation process, the chain of ownership is examined. If there’s a clear chain of title of ownership only then mutation is done. In this particular case also, MCD examined the documents pertaining to sale of property as per aforementioned procedure. We have received a complaint and will examine the mutation done by us,” said Deep Mathur, director, press and information, MCD.

Mehta said the deputy commissioner (central), Delhi through SDM (Daryaganj) Delhi had written a letter to the deputy assessor and collector of MCD’s house tax department in 1998 that all seven properties are ‘Enemy’ properties and thus immune from sale, seizure. “However, the officials of the house tax department removed the letter of the SDM from the file and illegally mutated the property. Strict action should be initiated against them,” said Mehta. A copy of this letter is also with HT.