In connection with Rs300-crore NH 74 land acquisition and compensation scam, SIT has arrested two more persons from Gurugram in Haryana on Tuesday.
The duo is the managing director of a private company Priya Shamra and her partner Sudhir Chawla. Both were absconding to evade arrest, said a senior police officer privy to the investigation. Earlier, their petitions seeking stay on their arrest had been rejected by the Uttarakhand High Court.
While rejecting the prayer on February 28, the court had directed the registrar general to probe the authenticity of the documents submitted by them to it. Besides, the court had taken serious cognisance of Chawla not appearing in person and directed that he be arrested and presented in the court.
According to the case details, the investigating officer of the SIT probing the NH 74 land compensation scam had lodged an FIR against Sharma and Chawla for forgery under various sections. According to the SIT head Swatantra Kumar, the duo had forged documents to secure a compensation of Rs 23 crore from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Meanwhile, after rejection of their applications by the High Court, the Nainital district and session judge Kumkum Rani had issued non-bailable warrants against the duo.
Notably, the State Government had handed over the case to SIT after an FIR was lodged regarding the multi-crore land acquisition scam, dubbed as a super scam of the state. SIT has already collected evidences related to the case after questioning officers and employees of the departments concerned.
Sources said that several officers and officials appeared before the SIT in the past and their statements related to the aforesaid scam were recorded by the SIT officers. SIT is being led by additional SP Kamlesh Upadhyay while CO Swatantra Kumar is acting as the investigating officer. The team also comprises inspectors and sub-inspectors as members. SIT is being supervised by SSP, Udham Singh Nagar and DIG Kumaon.