Delhi: A commercial property owner in Delhi has accused the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) of corruption, including what he described as the “illegal” sealing of premises on the pretext of norm violations. He has alleged in his complaint “demands for money to unseal the premises”.
Repeated attempts by Patriot to get a response from the MCD were unsuccessful. The civic body declined to comment on the allegations raised by the property owner.
In a letter to the MCD, Feroz Ahmed, the owner of a commercial property at F-16, Preet Vihar, alleged that the corporation had raised inflated and fictitious charges before sealing the premises, violating legal procedures.
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According to Ahmed, the MCD recently issued a demand notice claiming the property violated norms under the Master Plan for Delhi 2021 (MPD-2021). He contends that the charges are baseless and the calculations erroneous.
Disputed charges, inflated payments
The crux of the dispute lies in what Ahmed calls “fictitious and malicious demands” raised against several commercial units within the F-16 building, which houses coaching centres, consultancies and offices.
Ahmed submitted official MCD receipts that show payments totalling Rs 46,48,185 in conversion and parking charges — a figure he says far exceeds the legal requirement. These payments were made through multiple transactions over the years. In 2018, Rs 76,121 was paid (Receipt No. 64168), followed by Rs 2,96,708 in 2019 (Receipt No. 61736), under one-time conversion charges applicable to Category C and D colonies at the rate of Rs 256 per square metre.
Further, Ahmed submitted handwritten calculations by a Junior Engineer at the MCD, reportedly acknowledging that an excess amount of Rs 77,265 had been paid.
According to him, the plot size is 500 sq. m. At the applicable rate of Rs 256 per sq. m. for non-retail conversion and Rs 2,995 per sq. m. for parking, the total payable amount would be Rs 25,41,500. In contrast, Rs 46 lakh has already been paid, which he argues clearly points to overpayment.
Misclassification of premises
A major point of contention is the classification of the premises. While the Deputy Commissioner’s show-cause notice reportedly categorises the premises as a coaching centre operating under the name “Gyanam Education Consultancy”, the Assistant Engineer applied conversion charges meant for retail shops or showrooms, which are charged at Rs 511 per sq. m.
Ahmed argues in the letter that “according to annual mixed usage charges for C and D colonies, Rs 256 per sq. m. is applicable for coaching centres, not Rs 511”, he said in the letter. He accused MCD officials of “knowingly inflating dues”.
The letter points out the contradiction in the MCD’s position — one department identifies the premises as an educational facility while another treats it as a retail outlet. This inconsistency, Ahmed alleges, exposes the civic body’s misuse of power.
‘Procedural lapses’
The letter highlights several alleged procedural lapses in how the MCD issued notices and executed the sealing of the premises. According to Ahmed, the civic body sent notices with incomplete addresses, making them undeliverable. This, he alleged, was a “deliberate move” to prevent timely responses and create grounds for punitive action.
Ahmed links the timing of the MCD’s actions to a minor fire incident on the first floor of the building. Soon after the fire, the MCD issued a show-cause notice — a coincidence that, according to him, further casts doubt on the civic body’s motives.
Speaking to Patriot, Ahmed said, “The MCD officials issued a show-cause notice on July 16, stating that we had 48 hours to respond. But they sent it by post on July 20, and by the time it reached us, the deadline had lapsed. We didn’t even get the chance to present our case before the officials.”
He further alleged, “The MCD official approached me seeking undue benefits. When I refused to pay, the whole thing was set in motion.”
‘Unauthorised sealing’
Another serious charge in the letter concerns the allegedly illegal sealing of the premises. Ahmed claims that a Junior Engineer entered the property without any prior notice or legal authorisation, tampered with the premises and resealed it, which he claimed violated Section 345A of the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act.
Metadata evidence from CCTV footage, he said, supports his claim that the visit was unauthorised. He states that the MCD has failed to provide any official order justifying the sealing or resealing of the property.
High Court order
Ahmed cites a 2023 Delhi High Court ruling to challenge the legal basis of the MCD’s actions. The judgment addresses the permissibility of coaching centres under the MPD-2021, stating clearly that such operations are allowed in residential areas.
More specifically, the order notes that only the use of basements by coaching centres requires fire clearance. For upper floors, no such fire NOC is necessary. This, he claimed, directly contradicts the MCD’s interpretation, which was reportedly used to penalise Ahmed’s property.
“The order makes it clear that coaching centres are allowed in residential areas,” the letter notes, adding that no illegal construction or unauthorised use of the premises has taken place.
Charges paid by other occupants
To further support his claim that all dues have been paid, Ahmed attached details of payments made by other occupants of the same building.
Pahal Design, located on the first floor, has paid Rs 3,95,492 towards conversion, parking and registration charges. Alchemist, a unit in the middle section of the second floor, has paid Rs 5,34,451. Another second-floor tenant, Samyak Computers, has paid Rs 3,65,154. According to Mr. Ahmed, each of these transactions is backed by valid receipts and documentation, showing full compliance with MPD-2021 regulations.
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Call for accountability
In conclusion, Ahmed asserts that all relevant records — including receipts, metadata and video evidence of the unauthorised sealing — will be submitted in court if the matter escalates.
Ahmed has urged the MCD to stop issuing contradictory notices and align its position with legal records and established court orders.
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