Delhi chief secretary Rajeev Verma moves into bungalow 'built by demolishing 15th-century ASI structure'

NEW DELHI: A bungalow, which was built by Delhi Jal Board's (DJB) former CEO Udit Prakash Rai by allegedly razing an ASI-listed 15th-century monument in southeast Delhi's Jal Vihar near Lajpat Nagar, has got a new resident in Delhi chief secretary Rajeev Verma, sources in govt have said.The allotment of the property mired in controversy was cleared at a recent board meeting of DJB, which owns the bungalow.The property, which remained vacant since Rai moved out in Sept 2023, has been given to Verma "as it had to be put to some use", a Delhi govt official said.Sources in Delhi govt said that Verma moved in over a month ago. However, he did not respond to calls and messages seeking his comment.

According to official records, the site used to house a monument and a gateway listed in the records of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The structure was described as a "mahal" dating back to the Sayyid dynasty in 1418.In 2023, it came under scrutiny when it emerged that Rai had allegedly ordered the demolition of the heritage structure to build the govt accommodation for himself when he used to head the Jal Board. In April 2023, the vigilance department issued a show-cause notice to Rai. According to the notice, he was eligible for a Type-V govt accommodation of 106 square metres, but constructed and occupied the bungalow with a built-up area of 700 sqm on a plot of 5,500 sqm.

It was built at a cost of Rs 4 crore, according to the department. The notice cited both the demolition of the listed structure and the excess construction as violations warranting action.The notice stated that following a visit to the site in Jan 2021, the archaeology department wrote to DJB, seeking possession of the monument and the gateway for their conservation. When the department returned to the site in Jan 2023, it found the monument was no longer there.In May 2023, the vigilance department issued show-cause notices to five officers for alleged "connivance" in Rai's illegal construction. Rai filed a series of complaints that June with the ministry of housing and urban affairs and the then LG, V K Saxena, claiming that a "biased inquiry" was conducted against him and that his family was being subjected to harassment.His wife, Shilpi Udit Rai, who was living in the bungalow along with their children, approached Delhi High Court with a petition challenging the show-cause notice.

In Aug, the court directed the couple to shift to another govt accommodation.On July 31, 2023, the Union home ministry suspended Rai and directed him to vacate the premises. He and his family moved out two months later. Since then, the bungalow remained vacant and its power and water connections were disconnected. Over the past year, DJB explored several options for repurposing the property. Proposals included converting it into either a laboratory-cum-training centre or a govt guesthouse or a training facility for engineers and human resource officials. However, none of the proposals was finalised.