AAP steps up attack; says top cop Bassi stopping FIR against his brother

New Delhi: Stepping up the attack on Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi over a controversial property in Rohini, the AAP on Saturday alleged that the top cop not only "hid" details regarding the flat but is also stopping an FIR against his brother in this connection.

The party also sought to counter his "graveyard" remark, saying the Delhi Police has this record of sending residents to "graveyard" by referring to a case of an alleged custodial death.

AAP posed several questions to the police chief and said the matter was being probed by the state government. AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj has alleged that Bassi got a flat in the Lucky Cooperative Housing Society by flouting rules and in collusion with officers of the registrar of cooperative societies and the managing committee of the society.

"Is it mere coincidence that the then Registrar of Cooperative Societies), who was his next-door neighbour at Ashoka Road, bypassed all bylaws and provisions to illegally help Bassi get enrolled in Lucky Cooperative Housing Society?

"How did Bassi know in advance about the vacancy of the said flat in the society even before it was informed by the RCS in 1989-90. Is it not connivance and a criminal conspiracy?" asked Bharadwaj.

He further questioned why Bassi was given the property at the rate at which it was offered to the original allottee even though the law mandates 24 per cent equalisation charge per annum.

"The bylaws of the Lucky Home Cooperative Society mandated that Bassi should have informed it about procuring another property, but he did not do so when he procured a 500sq.m residential plot at Civil Service Officers Welfare Society in 1998. In such an event, his membership at Lucky Homes Cooperative Society would have stood cancelled.

"Isn't this a serious violation of law or is the police commissioner so ignorant about the law?" Bharadwaj further said. He added that Bassi's brother Ravi was obstructing the work of the Deputy Registrar of Societies and he has also lodged a compliant in this regard.

"Despite the fact that the Deputy Registrar has given a complaint against Ravi Bassi for obstructing their official work, there has been no FIR against him. Is Delhi Police Commissioner above the law?" Bharadwaj said.

Rejecting the allegations, Bassi had said yesterday that the property in question is "purely legitimate and was lawfully acquired".

The AAP government has indulged in "vicious propaganda", he had charged while challenging anyone, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, to a debate on this issue.

"I will have to get information and reply will be given. Commissioner of Police cannot work by hiding. (He) works standing on the streets. I have never cheated and shall never get scared of such allegations. Will take such cheats to the graveyard of the cheats," Bassi told reporters yesterday.

AAP's Malviya Nagar MLA Somnath Bharti said that never in history has it happened that a public servant has challenged a chief minister and said he was ready to debate Bassi.

Joining the attack, the party's Seemapuri MLA, Rajender Pal Gautam further charged that "the record of Mr Bassi and his police force in sending residents of Delhi to graveyard has been fully exposed in custodial death case of 34-year-old Shahnawaz at Nandgiri in which Delhi High Court has ordered a CBI probe and described the Delhi Police set up as an attempt to save the guilty personnel".