FIR against 28 villagers over illegal construction on Jewar airport land

Police in Noida have booked 28 villagers for unauthorised construction on land notified for the second phase of the Noida International Airport at Jewar. Officials said the activity violated acquisition norms despite repeated administrative warnings

Noida: A case has been registered against 28 villagers for allegedly carrying out unauthorised construction in the notified area earmarked for the expansion of the Noida International Airport at Jewar, police said on Saturday.

The FIR was lodged on Friday at Rabupura police station under sections 223 (Disobedience to a lawful order by a public servant) and 329(3) (Criminal Trespass and House-Trespass) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections 2 and 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984.

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Action was taken following a complaint filed by Lekhpal (revenue officer) Pratyush Rahi Pathak on behalf of the district administration in connection with illegal construction in Nagla Hukum Singh village under the Rabupura police station area, officials said.

According to the complaint, the process of acquiring around 1,182 hectares of land in Dayanantpur, Beerampur, Mudhrah, Ranhera, Kuraib, and Karauli Bangar villages for the second phase of the Noida International Airport project is currently underway.

A notification issued in 2022 clearly barred the sale, purchase, or any new construction on the notified land without prior permission of the Gautam Buddh Nagar district collector until the acquisition process is completed, officials said.

Despite repeated notices and directives issued by the administration to halt construction, the villagers continued with unauthorised building activity in an attempt to gain undue benefit under the land acquisition and rehabilitation policy, police said.

On Thursday, an FIR was lodged against a villager, Samayveer, in a related case at the same police station, they added. The district administration has said such illegal constructions not only violate the acquisition norms but also cause financial losses to the state exchequer and undermine government processes.