CBI Court jails 7 in Lok Priya Vihar CGHS land scam, 2 ex-officials among convicts
Synopsis
Nearly two decades after the CBI registered the case, a Delhi court has finally sentenced seven people — including two former government officials — for faking the revival of a defunct housing society to grab DDA land. The conviction of sitting registrar-level officials signals that white-collar fraud in cooperative housing is catching up with its perpetrators, however slowly.
Key Takeaways
A CBI Court in New Delhi sentenced seven convicts on 30 July in the Lok Priya CGHS land fraud case.
Former officials R.K.
Shrivastava (Registrar) and P.N.
Manchanda (Assistant Registrar) each received 2 years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹75,000 .
Five private individuals — K.K.
Wadhwa , Anil Kumar , Sunil Kumar , Devender Pal Singh , and Ravi Saluja — were also sentenced to 2 years rigorous imprisonment .
The conspiracy involved forged documents to obtain land from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) by fraudulently reviving a defunct cooperative society.
The CBI first registered the case in September 2006 and filed the charge sheet on 27 January 2008 .
A CBI Court in New Delhi has sentenced seven convicts — including two former public servants — to two years of rigorous imprisonment in connection with the fraudulent revival of the Lok Priya Co-operative Group Housing Society (CGHS), according to an official statement released on Saturday, 1 August 2025. The verdict closes a case that was first registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) nearly two decades ago.
Who Was Convicted
The two former public servants sentenced in the case are R.K. Shrivastava, the then Registrar of Co-operative Societies, and P.N. Manchanda, the then Assistant Registrar. Both have been awarded two years of rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹75,000 each for offences related to criminal misconduct.
The five private individuals convicted alongside them are K.K. Wadhwa, Anil Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Devender Pal Singh, and Ravi Saluja. They have been sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment along with fines for offences including cheating, criminal conspiracy, and the use of forged documents.
The Fraud: How It Was Carried Out
According to the investigation, the five private accused entered into a criminal conspiracy with officials of the Office of the Registrar of Co-operative Societies to illegally revive the Lok Priya CGHS — a defunct housing society originally registered between 1970 and 1980. Forged and fabricated documents were allegedly used to secure a land allotment from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
The CBI registered the case in September 2006 as part of a broader probe into the fraudulent revival of wound-up Co-operative Group Housing Societies across Delhi. A charge sheet was filed before the competent court on 27 January 2008.
Key Dates in the Trial
After a detailed trial spanning several years, the court convicted all seven accused on 14 July. The quantum of sentence was pronounced on 30 July, with the court awarding two years of rigorous imprisonment and imposing fines in accordance with the offences proved against each convict.
Broader CBI Action
This verdict comes amid continued enforcement activity by the CBI. Separately, on 31 July, the agency conducted searches at 10 locations — including Hyderabad and Vizianagaram — seizing documents and digital devices in connection with a ₹105.44 crore loan fraud against Punjab National Bank, allegedly committed by NCS Sugars.
The Lok Priya CGHS verdict underscores the CBI's sustained push to conclude long-pending housing society fraud cases, with more such trials reportedly at advanced stages in Delhi courts.
Point of View
Two-year sentences for a conspiracy that involved forging government documents and manipulating DDA land allotments may strike observers as lenient. The broader CBI probe into defunct cooperative housing societies, launched in 2006, reportedly covered multiple such societies; the pace of those remaining trials deserves scrutiny. Housing fraud that exploits regulatory gaps in cooperative societies continues to surface in Delhi, suggesting systemic vulnerabilities that conviction alone cannot fix.
NationPress
1 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Lok Priya Vihar CGHS scam?
The Lok Priya Vihar CGHS scam involved the fraudulent revival of the Lok Priya Co-operative Group Housing Society, a defunct housing society originally registered between 1970 and 1980. Accused persons allegedly used forged documents to secure a land allotment from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), conspiring with officials in the Office of the Registrar of Co-operative Societies.
Who were the government officials convicted in this case?
The two former public servants convicted are R.K. Shrivastava, the then Registrar of Co-operative Societies, and P.N. Manchanda, the then Assistant Registrar. Both were sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹75,000 each for criminal misconduct.
When did the CBI register and charge-sheet this case?
The CBI registered the case in September 2006 as part of a wider probe into fraudulent revivals of wound-up cooperative housing societies. It filed the charge sheet before the competent court on 27 January 2008.
What sentence did the court award the convicts?
All seven convicts received two years of rigorous imprisonment. The two former public servants were also fined ₹75,000 each, while the five private individuals were fined for offences including cheating, criminal conspiracy, and use of forged documents. The sentence was pronounced on 30 July.
Is this case connected to other CBI actions?
This verdict is separate from, but concurrent with, other CBI enforcement activity. On 31 July, the CBI searched 10 locations in Hyderabad and Vizianagaram in a ₹105.44 crore loan fraud case involving NCS Sugars and Punjab National Bank.
