The Gautam Budh Nagar district consumer forum ordered the arrest of Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA) CEO IAS Mayur Maheshwari in connection with a 22-year-old case, after the authority failed to give possession of an industrial plot in Surajpur to an allottee, even after successive courts since then have directed the agency to do so.
The consumer forum has allowed Maheshwari, who is a 2003 batch IAS officer, to secure bail by furnishing a bail bond of ₹50,000 and a surety of like sum. If he avails of this provision, he must appear before the forum on the next hearing date, scheduled for February 28.
What is the case?
The case pertains to a 800 square metre industrial plot, number 77 in Site C part of Greater Noida city, allotted to Mahendra Kumar H Advani in 1989.
The UPSIDA later cancelled the plot in 1998 due to non-payment of instalments and other reasons.
“Advani challenged the cancellation in 2001 by filing an appeal in the district consumer forum, which ruled in his favour on October 22, 2003. The forum ordered UPSIDA to restore the plot without any charges and imposed a fine of ₹12,000 on the authority. However, UPSIDA challenged this decision before the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Lucknow. On July 3, 2019, the state commission upheld the district forum's decision and directed UPSIDA to return the plot to the allottee,” said Pravesh Nagar, advocate on behalf of the allottee.
UPSIDA took the matter to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, New Delhi, which on August 7, 2023, reaffirmed the earlier rulings and directed UPSIDA to restore the plot within a month and deposit the ₹12,000 fine amount. Even after this final directive, UPSIDA did not comply.
Advani passed away three years ago, and his wife, Pushpa, is now pursuing the case. In January 2024, Advani's lawyer, Advocate Pravesh Nagar, filed an application before the Gautam Budh Nagar District Consumer Forum, pointing out UPSIDA's continued non-compliance.
On January 22, 2025 the consumer forum observed that the decree holder (complainant) was present in the court but the opposite party was not present to answer questions.
“Let the bailable warrant of ₹50,000 value be issued against the UPSIDA chief executive officer Mayur Maheshwari. The complainant should pursue his case in the next seven days. And the next date of hearing will be February 28, 2025,” said an order delivered by district consumer forum chairperson.
Forum also writes to Kanpur police for arrest warrant
The forum has also written to police commissioner of Kanpur district about the arrest warrant as the UPSIDA office is located there.
“Under section 70/71 criminal procedure code 1973 read with under section 27 consumer protection act 1986 whereas aforesaid Mayur Maheshwari CEO of UPSIDA Khanpur, stands charged with the offence of non-compliance of order October 22, 2003, you are hereby directed to arrest the aforesaid Mayur Maheshwari CEO of UPSIDA, Kanpur and produce him before me. But if the aforesaid CEO UPSIDA shall give bail, in the sum of ₹50,000 with one surety in the sum of rupees ₹50,000. then he be released on bail. but we have directed him to appear before us on February 28, 2022,” said the order.
“We are yet to receive a signed copy of this order. But we learnt that it is a very old case going back to 2003 and the matter is also pending before higher courts. We will abide by the court orders and do the needful,” said Maheshwari.
The BuckStopper, run by a group of seasoned journalists, holds the powerful accountable. The buck stops with them, as they cannot shrug off their official responsibilities.
