Gurgaon: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday made the seventh arrest in the illegal road construction case in the protected Aravali area near Basai Meo village, under Ferozepur Jhirka police station limits. However, the three main accused, former sarpanch Hanif, Shaukat, and Sabir, remain absconding, despite a Rs 50,000 reward each on their heads. Sakeel, the latest arrestee, is a resident of the village. He allegedly used his machinery, including a JCB, three road construction machines, and a tractor, for laying two illegal 33-foot-wide roads by pouring concrete without any administrative approval. These roads lead directly into the ecologically sensitive Aravali hills.During interrogation, he disclosed that he was paid by Hanif for carrying out the work. Authorities said Sakeel will be produced in court and taken on remand for further questioning.Earlier, the ACB arrested six persons, including three retired officials from the consolidation department and two private individuals, Sher Mohammad, Mohammad Latif, and Bijendra Rana, who was the district revenue officer (DRO) in 2024, and held additional charge as the consolidation officer (chakbandi adhikari).Basai Meo has been under scrutiny following revelations that illegal road construction and mining were carried out in forest and agricultural land, directly violating Supreme Court directives and environmental norms. The CEC report confirmed the illegal construction of a 1.5km road, allegedly created to facilitate transportation for illegal stone mining. The committee also noted inaction from the local panchayat and raised questions about the role of elected representatives.The Haryana govt, instead of focusing solely on internal enforcement, petitioned the Supreme Court to extend the mining ban 5km into Rajasthan, claiming illegal operations just across the border were spilling into Haryana.
