06 January,2009 11:56 AM IST | | Surender Sharma
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police has written to various banks seeking details of the applicants whose names are involved in the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) housing scam.
It is suspected that many of these accounts were opened just days before the applications were filed. "We presume that no genuine applicant would open an account just for the sake of applying for a DDA flat. By getting details of such applicants we may be able to nail the culprit," said a senior police official, requesting anonymity.
The scheme with 5,010 flats on offer was launched in August last year. The draw was held in December. Soon after, allegations were raised over the successful applicants who in many cases got various flats, or some who are residents of Rajasthan getting flats without even applying. The scam centres around the flats earmarked for the SC/ST category.
The police are also investigating the possibility of a real estate agents' cartel applying under fake names. Even the DDA admitted that property dealers may have been working from behind the scenes.
"Property dealers may have applied under fake names or addresses. But, even if they got flats under fake names, any unscrupulous element cannot get through the verification process, which is yet to be done," DDA Housing Commissioner Asma Manzar told MiD DAY.
