Corruption case in UP RERA: Accountant caught red-handed taking bribe

Noida, April 26 (IANS) Another case of corruption has surfaced in the Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (UP RERA). The Anti-Corruption Team from Meerut on Saturday arrested UP RERA accountant Harendra Goswami red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000.

The accused allegedly demanded a bribe from a distressed homebuyer in exchange for expediting a pending matter related to flat possession.

The case pertains to Kuldeep Kumar, an Assistant Director in the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.

Kuldeep had booked a flat in 2014 in the ‘Amaatra Homes’ project located in Sector-10, Greater Noida. According to the agreement, possession was due in 2018.

However, the developer failed to obtain both the Occupation Certificate (OC) and Completion Certificate (CC) and handed over possession in 2019 — while also making an ‘illegal demand’ of an additional Rs 4 lakh.

Kuldeep filed a complaint with UP RERA against these irregularities. After investigation, the appeal filed by the builder was rejected in June 2022. Still, for the last three years, Kuldeep has neither received valid possession of his flat nor has the builder been penalised.

Amidst this delay, accountant Harendra Goswami demanded a bribe of Rs 50,000 from Kuldeep to “expedite” the case, say the officials. When Kuldeep expressed his inability to pay such a large sum, Goswami proposed that Rs 5,000 be paid immediately, with the remaining amount later. Kuldeep then approached the Anti-Corruption branch team and filed a formal complaint.

In a pre-planned operation, as soon as Goswami accepted Rs 5,000, the Anti-Corruption Team arrested him on the spot. He was taken to the Beta-2 police station for questioning, and legal proceedings are underway.

Speaking to the media, Kuldeep said: “Even as a central government officer, I have been struggling for justice for the past three years. I now hope this incident triggers much-needed reforms in UP RERA and helps other victims get timely justice.”

--IANS

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