Lucknow, Sep 18 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court on Thursday transferred to the Uttar Pradesh vigilance department a probe relating to execution of illegal sale deeds of plots worth crores and siphoning of the sale proceeds by erstwhile officer bearers of a housing co-operative society.

A Lucknow bench of Justice Pankaj Bhatia asked the director of vigilance department to submit his first action taken report by September 25.

The bench passed the order on a writ petition by the newly-elected office bearers of Bahujan Nirbal Varg Sahkari Grih Nirman Samiti Limited.

In its order, the bench observed, "In view of the might of Pravin Singh Bafila and Lakhan Singh Baliyani, the erstwhile office bearers of the society, either on account of their political clout or otherwise, the manner in which the investigation is proceeding cannot be termed as satisfactory, as such, this court has no option but to transfer the investigation to the Director, Uttar Pradesh Vigilance Department." In course of hearing, the bench had found that the society was established for the welfare of SC/ST people.

It was granted a chunk of land by the government after acquiring the land from the common public.

The land was meant to be granted to members of SC/ST community but instead of it, different pieces of land were granted to ineligible persons.

The two office bearers -“ Bafila and Baliyani - had executed sale deeds to ineligible persons and thereafter they siphoned of the sale money worth crores to their own use.

During earlier hearing, the bench had said that a deep malaise of corruption that is rampant in the co-operative housing societies in Uttar Pradesh.

So far as the corruption in the present society was concerned, under pressure of the court hearing, the state government had lodged FIR in the matter.

While inquiring the status of probe, the bench was not satisfied from the manner and lethargy, it was being conducted.

The bench expressed dissatisfaction on the explanation regarding the alleged slow progress of the probe as given by additional advocate general Pritish Kumar assisted by additional chief standing counsel Rahul Shukla on behalf of the state government.

Refusing their pleas, the bench observed, "Despite there being ample evidence on record against the office bearers who have not only sold the land of the society without any authority but have also siphoned of the sale proceeds, no effort has been made to recover the sale proceeds which have been siphoned off ex-facie by the office bearers of the society." PTI COR ABN ZMN

Transfer of investigation to vigilance department orders probe into illegal sale deeds and siphoning of society funds. The court transferred the probe into alleged illegal sale deeds and siphoning of society sale proceeds to the Uttar Pradesh Vigilance Department, citing unsatisfactory, slow state investigation and the political influence of former office bearers; it noted land meant for SC/ST members was allotted to ineligible persons, sale deeds were executed in favour of those persons, proceeds were siphoned off, an FIR was lodged under court pressure, and no recovery efforts had been made, directing the Vigilance Director to file an action taken report.