New Delhi, May 3 (ANI): The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with a high-profile petition alleging large-scale corruption and financial misconduct in a shopping mall project in West Delhi.
Justice Girish Kathpalia issued the notice after hearing a petition that makes grave accusations against senior government officials, real estate developers, corporate tenants, and sub-registrars. The petitioner, the former majority shareholder and director of the original developer firm S.S. Con-Build Private Limited, claims to have been unlawfully ousted from the project.
The mall project, initially known as Capitol City Mall or Gourmet Hub Mall and recently rebranded as “Emaya,” is at the centre of the controversy. The petitioner has alleged that the project has turned into a hub of illegal activity, including unauthorised commercial use, fraudulent registration of sub-leases, and manipulation of government records.
According to the petition, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had granted a perpetual lease for the 6,085 square metre plot in Paschim Puri to S.S. Con-Build Private Limited in 2007. However, the lease was terminated by the DDA on January 14, 2020, due to non-payment of dues, including ground rent and conversion charges exceeding Rs. 25 crore. This termination followed a series of show-cause notices and cancellation proceedings dating back to 2014.
Despite the termination, the petitioner alleges that individuals associated with S.S. Con-Build Private Limited continued to operate on the land through shell companies. These entities allegedly forged documents and unlawfully registered sub-leases, aided by officials from the DDA and the Sub-Registrar’s Office.
Further concerns were raised over the involvement of well-known corporate brands, which, despite being aware of the cancelled lease, entered into sub-lease agreements and began operations in the mall. The petition claims these actions form part of a wider conspiracy to defraud the public exchequer of over Rs. 100 crore, including unpaid dues and evaded unearned increase charges owed to the government.
The petition demands a CBI investigation under various sections of the Indian Penal Code—420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using forged documents as genuine), 120B (criminal conspiracy)—as well as provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The petitioner is represented by Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa and Advocate Gaurav Gupta, with the petition drafted by Advocate Thakur Ankit Singh.
The case highlights serious allegations of institutional collusion and fraud and now awaits further action pending the CBI’s response.
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