Referring to an incident in 2004, when the DDA was fined by the High Court for the method adopted in selecting 48 junior engineers sent on a deputation to the MCD, he said: “No discernible method was adopted by the then Principal Commissioner of the DDA while selecting these engineers, and eventually the MCD refused to keep any of them citing corruption as a reason. Yet all were repatriated to the DDA because of their closeness to Sunil Sharma,” Raj said.

The DDA could not be reached for comments on these allegations.

Self proclaimed RTI activist R K Aggarwal joined Raj in making allegations against Sunil Sharma and the DDA. “Even though Sharma is no longer employed with the DDA, he continues to occupy the quarters assigned to him during service. He also runs a commercial establishment from this property on Bhagwan Dass Road. It was only after I filed an RTI asking why he was still allowed to live there did the DDA take action and ask him to pay rent as well as stop all illegal activities from this property,” Aggarwal said.

He alleged that he had in the past revealed to the DDA how a junior engineer working under Sharma was involved in “corrupt practices.” He said he brought to the notice of the DDA that one Arvind Bhushan was reselling properties whose legitimate owners had passed away and was putting vacant DDA flats on rent. “However, Sharma closed these files and I had to appeal to the L-G to have them re-opened. While they have been re-opened, the DDA has not really taken any discernible action in the matter,” he said.