The Supreme Court of India has cancelled the allotment of two flats by a Haryana government housing society to a governing body member and his subordinate. The decision came after the Punjab and Haryana High Court refused to intervene. The top court said the allotments were arbitrary, biased, and against the society’s own rules. "Nepotism and self-aggrandisement are anathema to a democratic system, more so when it happens within a society comprising members of the government service," said the Bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and K. Vinod Chandran. The case began when Dinesh Kumar, a member of the HEWO, challenged the allotments of two super deluxe flats to allegedly ineligible persons, accusing the society of favouritism. The Supreme Court noted that the appellant was eligible by all criteria, while the governing body member did not meet the minimum deputation period required. The Court called the allotment "a clear act of favouritism and blatant display of self-aggrandizement." Due to these abuses of power, the Court set aside the High Court judgment and imposed fines: ₹1 lakh on HUDA, ₹50,000 on the third respondent BB Gupta, and ₹25,000 on the fourth respondent Puran Chand. HUDA must also pay ₹50,000 to the appellant as litigation expenses. The amounts paid as fines by the respondents will be deposited with the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee and refunded without interest within one month. Those who received the flats must vacate the premises within one month of the refund. The Court clarified that HUDA may recover the costs from the governing body members involved in the decision.