For once, AAP boss and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seem to be right: “Sab mile huye hain ji”
The clouds surrounding former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung’s alleged possession of enemy properties is thickening. Nobody is willing to clarify the matter, certainly not Jung himself.
‘As I mentioned in a story’ on this portal last month, the ex-LG of the national Capital has been accused of illegally holding a number of enemy properties—that is, the properties that India describes belonging to the citizens and corporations of the enemy country, Pakistan in this context. This is an international practice. During the two World Wars, the United States and the United Kingdom did that with the properties of German nationals and corporations.
Over three dozen properties are “under illegal occupation of” Jung and his brother Akbar Hamid Jung, the Mumbai-based Custodian of Enemy Property for India mentioned in its July 26, 2012, letter.
In my earlier story, I had mentioned, “On July 26, 2012, the Mumbai-based Custodian of Enemy Property for India, which is under the Union Home Ministry, wrote a letter to the Additional District Magistrate (Central Delhi) about such possessions. The ADM (Central) is the ex-officio Deputy Custodian of Enemy Property for Delhi. The Custodian of Enemy Property pointed out that similar letters dated 4-10-2003, 12-6-2005, 23-4-2009, and 13-3-2011 were sent to the officers concerned in Delhi ‘regarding illegal occupation and misuse of enemy properties’.”
At that time, I knew only about the letter, which was posted along with the story. Now, I have details about a few properties as well. While the properties under Jung’s alleged possession are located in various parts of Delhi, most of them are in the walled city, official sources told me.
One of the properties—Number 5377, 5378 and 5379, Ward IV, Kucha Rehman, Chandni Chowk—was once owned by Mirza Gulam Mohammad and others. Then there is one at Sadar Bazar—Property Number 5019 and 5027, Rui Mandi—which was earlier owned by Mumtamuddin and Rahimuddin. Official sources informed me that Jung also holds properties at Paharganj, Alipur Road, and Shahdara.
Over three dozen properties are “under illegal occupation of” Jung and his brother Akbar Hamid Jung, the Mumbai-based Custodian of Enemy Property for India mentioned in its July 26, 2012, letter. “None of the properties,” the letter added, “is under any litigation.”
The letter also said that the “government is not accruing any income from” the properties in question. This is because all accruals are going to Najib Jung and his brother, sources said. They said that at the time when the letter was written, the brothers were earning about Rs 30 lakh per month, adding that now the figure is above Rs 40 lakh.
I wanted to have Jung’s version, so I sent him an email. I also mentioned my mobile number in the mail. There was no response either to the mail or by way of telephone.
Earlier, I had sent the link of my story on Jung’s alleged land grab to a leader of the Aam Aadmi Party. He informed me that he had forwarded it to senior functionaries of the party and the Delhi state government. Nothing, however, has happened to Jung or his allegedly illegal possessions, the AAP’s apparent antipathy towards the former LG notwithstanding.
For once, AAP boss and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seem to be right: “Sab mile huye hain ji (They are all hand in glove).”
Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
- Liberty Is Penalized, Violence Goes Untouched - December 21, 2019
- Rahul’s Howdy bloomer - September 22, 2019
- Chidambaram’s hypocrisy - August 22, 2019
A most important story for the anti-corruption brigade to notice and act upon.
Najeeb Jung (IAS) started going up the ladder in career and governance since his deputation to the then Minister for Railways (Scindia) as his private secretary. Later, as a deputy secretary/director of the steel ministry also he showed his clout in his conduct. His career was very carefully nurtured by the Congress resulting in his assignment with the Reliance group. [ Many people deliberately tend dementia now in respect of the growing influence and tout of the Ambanis in the highest echelons of power since the early seventies when they took under their umbrage most of the ministers and top bureaucrats and, in return, this grateful industry house took care to groom their wards’ life to ensure that they reached the top-as is evident in one person’s life in particular. In fact, in the 70s and 80s-and even later, there was a scrambling among the (junior and top most) civil servants for securing the favour of this forward looking group who (like the Birlas in the Nehru era and ever since) have taken complete care of the people who submitted before them.]
There were stories, even during Jung’s steel ministry days about his family’s relationship with the famous Ali Yavar Jung family of Hyderabad and the properties spread over the country. It is but natural that, with his clout in the Family-run govt, there has never been any investigation (not even by the income tax department) into his and his family’s claim of ownership of the reported Enemy Properties. In fact, in India this is the bureaucratic tradition and culture.
An interesting story was narrated by a senior IRS officer in charge of the then Raipur Range (then in MP, as Jung belonged to the then MP cadre and the Scindias too belong to the then and present MP) where Jung was the DM. The income tax department (in the 70s) had initiated inquires against state govt officers including the police. [There were still some courageous and honest officers in the IRS then.] The govt servants, as usual, were extremely angry (as they claim total exemption from the jurisdiction of the income tax officials) This senior officer, in charge of the Raipur Range, many years senior in the civil service to Jung, was summoned by the young DM and asked what he and his officers would do if he (the DM) ordered the police to register false charges against the IRS officers and their juniors.
The head of the respective income tax jurisdiction had no choice but to immediately order his officers to drop the ongoing statutory inquiries and proceedings!
A study of the career graph of an IAS officer (or, for that matter, any civil servant who becomes a VIP in the ruling party and government) speaks volumes which, unfortunately, the vigilance officers of the govt mostly tend to ignore.
It would be interesting to watch now what the Custodian of Enemy Properties (a statutory authority) does and whether it would muster sufficient courage, after years of slumber, to initiate the requisite legal (and punitive) action in the cases cited in the story.
modi ji is the best