News: HC asks Haryana government to help CBI in tracking papers of Ambience mall probe-19-01-2021
Court has also granted two months' time to the premier agency to conduct the probe of the case and asked the CBI to submit a status report of the investigation on March 22.
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday asked the Haryana government to provide all assistance to the CBI in tracing some witnesses and documents pertaining to the investigation into the "illegal" conversion of a portion of nearly 19 acres meant for Ambience Lagoon Island residential complex in Gurugram into a commercial complex.
CBI was facing some difficulties in tracing the documents related to the case as the matter is around 28 years old.
Court has also granted two months' time to the premier agency to conduct the probe of the case and asked the CBI to submit a status report of the investigation on March 22.
The division bench, comprising Justice Rajan Gupta and Justice Karamjit Singh of the HC, has passed these orders after going through the status report submitted by CBI on Monday before the bench.
During the hearing of the case, a status report was filed by CBI in a sealed cover, which was opened, perused and resealed by the bench.
During the hearing of the matter, CBI counsel Sumeet Goel pointed out that as the matter pertains to 1992 some difficulties are being faced by the agency in tracing some witnesses and documents, which has been stated in the status report.
The counsel for Haryana government assured the HC that the needful shall be done.
CBI counsel further submitted that the investigation is being supervised by superior officers in the CBI and the court shall be apprised of the further progress on the next date of hearing. The case has now been adjourned for March 22 for further hearing.
HC had favoured a separate probe
Referring the matter to CBI on July 10, 2020, the HC had observed that a separate investigation is necessary by an independent agency to probe illegal actions and offence, if any made out and possible collusion between the builder and state authorities.
The HC had also quashed the order through which a portion of the residential complex was de-licenced for commercial purpose.
In pursuance to the HC order, the CBI registered a case in the matter against Raj Singh Gehlot, M/s Ambience Ltd; M/s Ambience Developers and Infrastructure Pvt Ltd; unknown officials of HUDA, town and country planning department of Haryana and other unknown private persons.
