Gurugram, Aug. 25 -- The land compensation scam linked to the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) project is estimated to be worth over Rs.100 crore, the court monitoring the probe has observed. The court, in its order whose copy is with HT, has also observed that the scam is the fallout of a "well-knit racket" to claim the compensation amount of land owners by impersonation. According to police officials, five members of the gang have been arrested in the last two months for allegedly fraudulently claiming Rs.5.12 crore. The suspects impersonated landowner Brahm Prakash Yadav of Badshahpur, whose land was acquired for SPR, to secure compensation despite him having already taken benefits in the form of floor area ratio (FAR) or transfer of development rights (TDR) from the Haryana government. Police said the gang likely accessed details of landowners through connivance with government officials, enabling them to target those who had opted for floor area ratio (FAR) or transfer of development rights (TDR) instead of monetary compensation for land acquired for the SPR project. Police said at least 20 to 25 landowners may have been targeted by the gang, which was busted by the Gurugram police's economic offences wing after the matter surfaced in a court handling compensation disbursal in December 2024. Acting on court directions, Shivaji Nagar police station registered a case of cheating and forgery on January 29 this year. Five gang members, Tushar alias Kaku, 21, of Jahangirpuri; Krishna Kumar, 50, of Mehrauli; Dinesh Kashyap alias Rathor, 38, of Dwarka; and Pankaj Kumar Kela alias Dharm, 47; and Sushil Kumar Darda, 48, from Chhattisgarh, were arrested over the past two months for allegedly syphoning Rs.5.12 crore. Investigators said the gang first succeeded in May 2023 by impersonating Yadav before the court to claim Rs.5.12 crore, after which they attempted to obtain an additional Rs.6.18 lakh in his name. The fraud came to light when a patwari flagged that the owner was not liable for monetary compensation during verification. A senior police official said the gang exploited a procedural flaw. "Officials should have never transferred the compensation of owners who had taken benefits in the form of FAR or TDR to the court. This amount should have been reversed to the government. This step made it easy for the suspects to commit the fraud and successfully claim the compensation by impersonating Yadav," the official said. Officials familiar with the probe said the scam also raises questions about how Yadav's compensation was sanctioned despite records showing he had already taken TDR benefits. The court has observed that the sanctioning process by Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) and other departments indicates "apparent malafide" and hints at a "well-oiled racket". No officials have been placed under investigation or suspension so far. Police said the role of government functionaries will become clearer once the gang leader is arrested, as he is believed to have connived with them. The court further raised concerns over the conduct of the land acquisition officer of Gurugram, who in March 2022 deposited Rs.518 crore with the court, including amounts due to owners who had already availed of FAR or TDR benefits and were no longer eligible for compensation. Sandeep Kumar, public relations officer of the Gurugram police, said the investigation is ongoing. "Besides the court, senior officials are also monitoring the investigation. Several more suspects will be arrested soon in the case, which will further clear the scenario," he said....