Lucknow, Sep 3 The Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench has ordered a fresh inquiry into the alleged illegal transfer of 59 acres of land originally leased to Modi Rubber Ltd under the Grants Act, directing a committee of Board of Revenue officials to submit its report within six weeks.
The court has further directed the state government to take a considered decision within three weeks of receiving the inquiry report.
Also, taking serious exception to the delay in complying with its earlier directions, the bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjive Shukla also imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 on the State, to be paid to the petitioner pursuing the matter in public interest.
The court passed the order on a PIL filed by Lokesh Kumar Khurana. The matter has been fixed for November 18.
In compliance of the previous order, the Principal Secretary, Revenue, Aparna U appeared before the bench on Wednesday and informed it that an initial district-level inquiry had found the allegation regarding the transfer of the land to be correct. Since a decision was required at the state level, an inquiry was entrusted to officials of the Board of Revenue on February 24, 2024.
The principal secretary added that the inquiry report was received on June 3, 2025, but was found to be inconclusive. The members of the committee were subsequently directed, through a letter dated December 3, 2025, to submit another report. However, despite reminders, the report has not been submitted so far.
The PIL alleges that around 59 acres of the 117 acres granted to Modi Rubber Ltd under the Grants Act was transferred without obtaining permission from the state government. The company, however, has its own version of the matter.
Hearing the matter, the bench observed that there could be no justification for the failure to file a supplementary counter-affidavit despite its order dated October 8, 2025. It also found no justification for the inquiry committee comprising Revenue Board officials not submitting its report in time and sitting over the matter.
The bench was apprised that the fresh inquiry committee comprises Raj Kumar Diwedi, Special Executive Officer, Board of Revenue, Uttar Pradesh; Additional District Magistrate (Finance and Revenue), Meerut; Chief Treasury Officer, Meerut; and Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Sardhana.
Taking note of this, the bench has directed the committee to conduct the inquiry and submit its report to the state government positively within six weeks.
"The state government must thereafter take a considered decision within the next three weeks," it added.
The court made it clear that if the inquiry was not completed within the stipulated period, all members of the inquiry committee would have to appear personally before the court.
The bench also directed the principal secretary (revenue) to join the proceedings through video conferencing.
The state has been directed to file the pending supplementary counter-affidavit within 10 days.
The court said another counter-affidavit would have to be filed if the inquiry report is received within the stipulated period.
For the delay in filing the supplementary counter-affidavit, the court imposed Rs 25,000 cost on the state, while leaving it open to the government to recover the amount from the officials responsible for the delay.
The bench also directed the principal secretary (revenue) to personally monitor compliance with the court's orders so that such a situation does not recur.
