NEW DELHI: The National Security Act (NSA) was invoked by the Gautam Buddh Nagar administration against a Delhi-based builder on Tuesday. The man apparently developed and sold the maximum number of illegal flats at Shahberi in Greater Noida, officials said.
Jasveer Singh Maan, 36, arrested on October 1 is the second such “rogue builder” to be booked under the stringent Act which prevents bail to an accused for a year, subject to judicial review after every three months, the officials said.
Last year, two adjoining buildings had collapsed in Shahberi village, leaving nine people, including a child and two women, dead.
Probe reports by the administration and local authorities found that the buildings had come up without any proper approval, as did several others which mushroomed over the years in Shahberi, less than 50 km from Delhi.
So far, 86 FIRs have been registered over illegal construction in Shahberi and action were taken against 42 builders under the Gangsters Act, said an official.
“Between 2014 and 2017, Maan developed 261 flats in Shahberi and sold 169 of them illegally. The flats were made without due permission from the Greater Noida Authority, had a weak structure and poor quality material,” District Magistrate Brajesh Narain Singh said.
“The decision to slap NSA on Maan has been taken on the basis of a report from the district police. His bail plea is due to be heard in court soon and if he is granted bail, then there are reasons to believe that he would engage in selling the remaining flats, leading to public disorder,” he added.
Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Krishna said Maan was already booked under the Gangsters Act and had two FIRs registered against him.