RANCHI, Dec. 23 -- The Jharkhand high court directed ACB probe into the matter of construction on encroached land of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) and compensation for those whose house constructed on eroached land was demolished during anti-encroachment drive by Ranchi Municipal Corporation. A division bench of Jharkhand High Court headed by chief justice Tarlok Singh Chouhan gave the order taking suo motu cognisance into the matter of loss incurred to those who constructed the house after completing all legal formalities and with due permission of state government on the encroached land. A high court advocate close to the matter informed the court that the order was given on December 20 and it was uploaded on a website on December 21. "The high court in its order took strong exception to the way construction was allowed on RIMS land after registration and mutation of RIMS land in the name of builders following approval of building and bank loan," the high court advocate said. The high court order, a copy of which is available with Hindustan Times confirmed the fact. "The State is directed to fix accountability on each and every official who is involved in the said mal-practices and adequately compensate the residents/affected persons whose construction(s) have been demolished which expenses as observed above shall be borne by these erring officials and the builders," the high court order reads. The high court order recommends an ACB probe. "This Court can also handover the investigation to the CBI in the present scenario but, for the present, we are refraining yourself in handing over the investigation to the CBI rather this Court is directing the State Police to institute FIR and investigation be conducted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau against the erring officials," the HC order reads. The HC expressed its concern over the conduct of district administration in the entire matter. They observed that the circle office did not verify the land record and entered the name of subsequent purchasers in violation of law. "This Court needs to comment herein about the conduct of the district administration including the Revenue Authorities which include the Circle Officers of the concerned circle that circle officers who were in the possession of the entire record but very surprisingly, the Circle Officers of the concerned circle without verifying the said record had entered the name of the subsequent purchaser(s), even though as per the Bihar Maintenance of Records Act, 1973, the circle officer is the custodian of the record. It is also surprising that the circle officer has placed the record before this Court but while entering the name of the litigant concerned at the relevant time, has not taken care to even consult much less verify the said record," the high court order reads. The high court also pointed fingers at the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) and map sanctioning authority observing these authorities failed to carry out the work for which it has been established. "Since the buildings are being demolished by the purchasers of the land or the flat owners situated over the acquired land, who have invested their hard-earned money. "The revenue authority or the registering authority or the map sanctioning authority or the authority of RERA who otherwise are duty bound to have been vigilant at the time of either getting the land registered or getting the land mutated or issuance of non-encumbrance certificate or sanction of the map or the question of steps which has been taken by the builders for which the RERA is their but unfortunately none of these functionaries have discharged their duty in proper manner for which they are deputed and have rather made these people suffer due to the demolition of their construction over the acquired Land," the high court order reads. The court in its order also pointed fingers on banks. "Notably, even the concerned private/government bank have not followed the due procedure while sanctioning the loan amount for some of the construction, therefore, management of the said banks are hereby directed to do the proper enquiry against its erring officials," the high court order reads. They also pointed fingers at RIMS authority who did not raise alarm when RIMS land was encroached. "This Court is astounded to note as to what the RIMS authority were doing when the buildings were being constructed within the precincts of the RIMS. It is further more surprising to note that the instant public interest litigation is pending since 2018 but at no time even this Court has been informed about the encroachment within the precincts of the RIMS," the court observed....