New Delhi [India]: The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in response to a writ petition seeking a criminal probe into serious allegations of corruption and financial irregularities related to a shopping mall project in West Delhi.
Justice Girish Kathpalia took cognizance of the claims implicating senior government officials, real estate developers, sub-registrars, and corporate tenants in what is being described as a multi-crore land scam. The court has sought CBI’s response on the matter.
The petition was filed by the former majority shareholder and director of S.S. Con-Build Private Limited, the original developer of the mall, which was allegedly removed from the project through fraudulent means.
The petitioner alleges that the project—initially called Capitol City Mall or Gourmet Hub Mall and now rebranded as “Emaya”—has been unlawfully exploited for commercial purposes despite the legal termination of the land lease.
According to the plea, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had granted a perpetual lease for a 6085 sq. metre plot in Paschim Puri to S.S. Con-Build Pvt. Ltd. in 2007. Due to unpaid dues exceeding ₹25 crore, the lease was officially terminated by the DDA on January 14, 2020, following a series of show-cause notices dating back to 2014.
Despite the lease cancellation, the petition claims unauthorized operations continued on the site through shell companies and forged documentation, with alleged collusion from DDA officials and sub-registrars.
Adding to the controversy, prominent corporate tenants are said to have entered into sub-lease agreements even after being informed of the lease’s cancellation, thereby participating in an alleged conspiracy that defrauded the public exchequer of over ₹100 crore, including unpaid dues and bypassed government charges.
The petitioner has urged the court to direct a CBI-led investigation under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy, as well as provisions under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The petition was argued by Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa and Advocate Gaurav Gupta, and drafted by Advocate Thakur Ankit Singh.