New Delhi, March 11 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Thursday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe Kandla Port Trust (KPT) officials who allegedly leased land to influential people at a throw-away rent without proper valuation.

A division bench of acting Chief Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Mukta Gupta passed the order on a petition of Centre for Public Interest Litigation, an NGO which alleged that over 16,000 acres of the port land was leased out by KPT officials to select individuals at throw-away rents.

The court also directed the shipping ministry to file an affidavit explaining why it delayed the grant of sanction to the CBI to investigate the erring officials.

The court said if any of the lease holders was holding the land despite expiry of the agreement, they should be immediately removed from the land. It also asked the government to reply by April 20 when this land would be publicly auctioned.

During the proceedings, the court slammed the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), which had probed the matter earlier.

'You (CVC) are not working... CVC cannot do anything. Your report is worthless. You are supposed to be more vigilant,' the court said.