M Seedy officials

Follow us:WhatsappFacebookTwitterTelegram.cls-1{fill:#4d4d4d;}.cls-2{fill:#fff;}Google NewsAmidst the incomplete columns of illegal structures that mushroom in Delhi throughout the year, bulldozers are a rare sight. But not this month, as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi went into an overdrive, bringing down illegal structures across Delhi, incurring the wrath of house-owners and shopkeepers alike.

A demolition squad generally comprises four to five people of the inspector rank from the Municipal Corporation along with hordes of policemen. But how clean are these officials themselves? That was the question we set about asking and the answer was uncomfortably familiar.

We heard of one such demolition officer who was active on the drive ordering buildings to be razed to the ground. Inspector Satish Bhatia works for the Defence Colony zonal office of the MCD. Cameraperson Abhay and I introduced ourselves as husband and wife and posed as buyers for a home we had heard Bhatia was interested in selling.

Taking the reference of somebody Bhatia knew allowed us easy access to his home and helped him lower his guard when he spoke with us. During the course of the conversation Bhatia readily admitted to extending his house on all sides and said it would be no problem to "extend" it further, provided the people living on the floor below were willing.

Mrs Bhatia, an amiable lady, showed us around the house and then took us around and showed us other houses for sale, ironically, owned by senior CBI and MCD officials. As all of them thought that we were Mrs Bhatia's acquaintances, they showed us around and proudly pointing out all the illegal construction and additions they had made. After shooting we left but returned the next day with some very bad news for the Bhatia's.

We rang the doorbell and when Mrs Bhatia opened the door we explained that we were journalists. All the colour instantly drained from her face and she shouted at us, asking us to leave her home immediately. Earlier when we had asked about the whereabouts of Mr Bhatia, she informed us that he was not keeping well. Now she said he was not at home and immediately shut the gate

Not only were we kicked out of the Bhatia home but all the officers at the demolition site disappeared as soon as we reached the spot. Then we visited Satish Bhatia's office where we came to know that had skipped office for the day. When his neighbors got a whiff of the entire episode they, and many others living in that area approached us and we were soon inundated with stories of Satish Bhatia's bribe taking and the illegal constructions that had taken place at his house.

When we heard these stories we went around the area looking at the umpteen illegal constructions. We then went to see the Municipal Commisssioner's, who adamantly refused to have anything to do with us, first making us wait for a long while outside his office and then, certain that we wouldn't going away, giving us the slip and escaping in his car. None of the MCD officials agreed to speak on record. Some people even told us off the record that the demolition drive is all eyewash, and has already slowed down and eventually will be restricted only to the sealing of a few buildings.
first published:December 26, 2005, 17:58 ISTlast updated:December 26, 2005, 17:58 IST
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