Delhi official registers govt land in name of pvt persons, dismissed

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 27

Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) VK Saxena has dismissed Harish Bajaj, a Delhi Administration Subordinate Services (DASS) Grade-1 officer, from service over corruption charges.

The officer was reportedly found fraudulently registering 57 sale and purchase deeds of government and gram sabha lands in favour of private persons. The land had already been notified under Section 4 and 6 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.

Fraudulently registered 57 sale deeds

• DASS Grade-1 officer Bajaj registered 106 instruments, of which 57 were in relation to government/ gram sabha lands.
• He did all this illegally with mala fide intentions and financial quid pro quo in violation of rules, regulations and instructions issued by the Department of Revenue, said a Raj Niwas official.

Bajaj, the said officer, did all this illegally with mala fide intentions and financial quid pro quo in violation of rules, regulations and instructions issued by the Department of Revenue, said a Raj Niwas official.

In fact, he did register the 106 instruments, of which 57 were in relation to government/gram sabha lands. Disposing of a case of appeal filed by Bajaj against an order of the government that had “compulsorily retired” him from service in 2020 for the acts of commission and omission on his part, the L-G observed that the “penalty of compulsorily retirement” was grossly disproportionate.

Consequently, Harish Bajaj, Deputy Secretary, Labour Department, is liable to be held responsible for gross dereliction in discharge of his duties and responsibilities and for proven misconduct. The ends of justice would be met by imposing an appropriate major penalty and it is therefore proposed to enhance the penalty to ‘dismissal from service’, ruled the L-G.

Bajaj, in his appeal to the L-G, who is the appellant authority in such matters, had not denied having registered the said lands. In support of his misconduct and omission/commission, he had contended that the sub-registrar performed his duties under the provisions of Registration Act 1908. However, the L-G ruled that the averments of Bajaj were misleading and he had blatantly disregarded government orders and circulars.