Supreme Court Orders SIT Probe into Alleged Land Sale Scandal

The Supreme Court has mandated the Uttar Pradesh government to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate claims of illegal land sales by the Spiritual Regeneration Movement Foundation of India. This decision arises from an appeal challenging an Allahabad High Court interim order, preventing a chargesheet filing linked to a Noida police FIR.

A judiciary Bench, comprising Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Atul S Chandurkar, tasked the team with identifying all society-owned properties and verifying unauthorized transfers. The team will operate under the Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary's guidance, including the Registrar of Societies to ensure comprehensive scrutiny.

In a decisive move, the Court overturned the High Court's interim stay on the chargesheet, instructing police to conclude their investigation and file a report per Section 193(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. The probe targets fraudulent actions by society insiders allegedly exploiting the properties, originally intended for public welfare and not personal gain.

(With inputs from agencies.)