New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS): A court here has rejected the bail plea of a real estate firm's director allegedly involved in a Noida property scam.

Observing that land mafia took over agricultural land "without any fear of law", Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau Friday dismissed the bail plea of Shivender Singh, director of Sarveshwari Pvt. Ltd.

Shivender Singh and one other were accused of misrepresenting and concealing facts during a deal from complainant Delhi-based Mohan Built and Developers Pvt. Ltd., causing the latter a loss of Rs.12.5 crore.

Delhi Police's Economic Offence Wing had registered a complaint April 27, 2011 against Mahendra Singh Kushwaha and his son, Shivender Singh, for allegedly cheating Mohan Built and Developers.

The duo took Rs.12.5 crore from the complainant company on the pretext of developing a township in Noida.

Police arrested Singh November 2013.

The court rejected the bail plea of Singh on the ground that his father Mahender Singh, who is a co-accused in the case, was still absconding.

The court said: "The country is facing huge economic crisis on account of numerous scams which are having a disastrous impact on the state's efforts to stabilise the economy.

The case relates to a major land scam as regards agricultural land at a prime location in the Noida area of Uttar Pradesh.

The court said: "The manner in which the fertile agricultural land ... is being taken over ... by the land mafia without any fear of law, on account of the huge political and social patronage which these so called violators enjoy, is a matter of national concern."

The court viewed that such things cannot happen without the association, knowledge and patronage of the officials of the local administration and the politicians of the area.

The court pulled up the police and said: "Strange it is that no investigations with regard to the involvement of the officials of the local administration have been carried out so far."