Haryana Police has sought permission from the State Government to further probe the corruption case registered against Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law Robert Vadra, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and realtors including DlF.
The police had on Saturday booked Vadra, Hooda, DlF and Gurugram-based Onkareshwar properties for their alleged involvement in a land scam worth Rs 5,000 crore in Gurugram in the year 2008.
The case was registered on the complaint of Surender Sharma, a resident of Rathiwas village near Tauru, alleging that a company belonging to Vadra’s Skylight Hospitality cheated people and the State.
A case was registered on charges of cheating, hatching conspiracy and forgery.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Shamsher Singh on Tuesday while talking to the mediapersons said, “We have registered the case immediately as soon as we received the complaint (on September 1). We have written to Haryana Director General Police BS Sandhu seeking approval from the State Government to further begin investigation."
Notably, Parliament had passed the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill 2018 on July 24 to enhance transparency and accountability of the government.
After the amendment to the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), 1988, a police officer needs prior approval of relevant authority or government to begin investigation. The same does not apply when the accused is caught red-handed.
The complaint read that Vadra's company purchased 3.5 acre land in Shikohpur here on the Delhi-Jaipur-Mumbai highway for Rs 7.5 crore in 2008 and later sold it to DlF for Rs 58 crore.
The previous Haryana government then allotted 350 acres of land to DlF in violation of rules.