The Delhi Development Authority's (DDA) plan to demolish and reconstruct the Signature View Apartments in Mukherjee Nagar has been unexpectedly paused. This halt comes despite the project having received the necessary clearances from both the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court. The stoppage is a direct result of an ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged irregularities and corruption during the towers' original construction.
CBI Steps In, Court Declines to Intervene
On Friday, the DDA informed the Delhi High Court that the CBI has directed it to put the demolition on hold. The investigating agency needs to collect evidence and examine the quality of various building components from the site before the structures are torn down. The DDA was told it must obtain a no-objection certificate from the CBI before proceeding.
Representing the DDA, senior advocate Sanjay Jain presented the agency's communication to the court. However, a bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia expressed its inability to intervene in the matter. The bench clarified that the issue before it was specifically related to the floor-area ratio (FAR) and not the separate criminal case being investigated by the CBI.
According to sources, the CBI has already begun the process of collecting samples from the apartment complex. This development follows the DDA's appeal last month for the agency to expedite its investigative exercise.
Financial and Logistical Strain on DDA
The forced pause places the DDA in a difficult position, both financially and logistically. In a letter accessed by the Times of India, the Authority highlighted the mounting costs and tight deadlines. The demolition contract was awarded in October of last year, and the site was officially taken over on November 28, 2023, in preparation for the work.
The DDA is currently disbursing a facilitation amount of approximately Rs 1.85 crore every month to the flat owners who vacated the premises. In its letter to the CBI, the DDA's executive engineer emphasized that the demolition and reconstruction constitute "time-bound work" and urged the agency to complete its quality testing and issue the no-objection certificate at the earliest.
Background of the Corruption Case
The roots of this investigation trace back to January 2023, when the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi ordered the immediate initiation of criminal proceedings. The order called for action against the contractors, builders, and construction agencies, as well as a vigilance inquiry to identify DDA officials responsible for lapses in the construction of the Signature View Apartments.
The matter was subsequently referred to the CBI. In 2024, the agency formally registered a case, booking 28 retired DDA officials and two private contractors. They are accused of compromising the quality and structural safety during the construction of the 336-flat complex, which was built between 2007 and 2009.
The First Information Report (FIR) also names two testing agencies: Bharat Test House and Delhi Test House. The private contractors named are Winner Construction Private Limited and Grover Construction Private Limited. The CBI's current evidence collection is a critical step in this wide-ranging probe into alleged corruption that has now physically stalled a major redevelopment project in the national capital.
