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The Anti-Corruption Bureau has filed a case against Ansal Housing, group firms, and former Haryana revenue officials for allegedly tampering with land records in the protected Aravali region near Sohna, Gurgaon. The FIR claims non-developable hill land was illegally reclassified in the 1990s, allowing the 1,200-acre Ansal Aravali Retreat farmhouse project to proceed. Triggered by a decade-old complaint, the investigation cites fraud, conspiracy, and forgery, highlighting collusion between officials and developers. Courts have since restored the land's protected status. The action underscores the lasting weight of environmental safeguards and the need for stricter oversight in ecologically sensitive real estate developments.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau has registered a formal complaint against Ansal Housing, along with its group companies and former officials from the Haryana revenue department, for the alleged manipulation of land records in the protected Aravali region near Sohna, Gurgaon. The accusations concern the alteration of land classified as 'gair mumkin pahad'-non-cultivable hill terrain that cannot legally be developed-into categories that permitted agricultural and residential construction. Advertisement
This change reportedly enabled the launch and expansion of the Ansal Aravali Retreat, a sprawling farmhouse colony covering over 1,200 acres. According to the FIR, the land classification was altered around the mid-1990s, with key entries in the 1990-91 land records allegedly modified under the influence of company officials in collaboration with local revenue staff.
The complaint, initially brought to the authorities' attention by a local social worker over a decade ago, gained momentum after multiple delays and was acted upon by the ACB earlier this week. The land, initially protected under environmental norms, was subsequently developed into luxury farmhouses and recreational spaces. Court directives in recent years had reversed the manipulated entries and restored the land's original protected status.
The FIR invokes provisions related to fraud, conspiracy, forgery, and abuse of public office. Investigators have pointed to systematic collusion and lapses in oversight that enabled the unlawful transformation of the Aravali land. Despite the historic nature of the case, law enforcement has stated that the evidence remains substantial and actionable.
While much of the development took place years ago, the fresh legal action reinforces the relevance of long-standing complaints and the need for strict regulatory enforcement in real estate practices. The case may have broader implications for similar projects in environmentally fragile areas.
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