According to the FIR, the inquiry report was submitted to the UP government on April 29 this year. In July, the government ordered Noida police to file an FIR. (file photo)NOIDA: Police this week filed an FIR against three former chief fire officers of Noida for giving no-objection certificates (NOCs) to the twin towers at Supertech’s Emerald Court complex in Sector 93A between 2005 and 2012. Though all three officers are now retired, the case was filed at the Phase 2 police station on August 14 after a report by an inquiry committee under DIG Fire Services held the three former officials guilty. UP additional chief secretary Awanish Awasthi had instructed the fire department to investigate the matter in September last year. The towers, which the Supreme Court ruled were built illegally, are less than two weeks from being razed. While ordering the demolition in August 2021, the court had directed the state government to take action against officials who facilitated construction of the two buildings. UP Fire Services director-general Avinash Chandra told TOI on Wednesday that six former CFOs were under inquiry but three of them — Rajpal Tyagi, IS Soni and Mahavir Singh – were found guilty of issuing clearances that enabled the developer to build the twin towers. “All three are retired officials. The irregularities in giving the NOCs occurred between 2005 and 2012,” Chandra said. The position of Gautam Budh Nagar CFO was created only in 2009. Before that, the Meerut CFO was responsible for clearances in Noida. Police said Tyagi and Soni were CFOs of Meerut before 2009, and Singh was GB Nagar’s first chief fire officer from 2009. His tenure ended in 2012. According to the FIR, the inquiry report was submitted to the UP government on April 29 this year. In July, the government ordered Noida police to file an FIR. “Therefore it is requested that according to the report of the inquiry committee constituted under the chairmanship of Deputy Inspector General of Police dated April 29, 2022, in the context of the irregularity in the issuance of fire clearance certificate, FIR should be registered against Rajpal Tyagi, IS Soni and Mahavir Singh under relevant sections,” the FIR said. The three former officials have been booked under sections 217 (public servant disobeying direction of law with intent to save person from punishment or property from forfeiture) of the IPC and under the UP Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Act, 2005. “Action in the case would be taken depending on the findings in the case,” said Paramhans Tiwari, SHO of Phase-2 police station. The three officials could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. In its ruling last year, the Supreme Court – while ordering the demolition of the towers – had said that the structures had been built in violation of norms that proved “collusion” between authorities and the developer. The bench had also made sweeping observations about rampant unauthorised construction and the need for courts to hold not just the developers, but also the authorities, accountable for it. FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAFacebookTwitterInstagramKOO APPYOUTUBE
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/noida/noida-3-ex-cfos-booked-for-clearing-twin-towers/articleshow/93625749.cms
