The controversial land deals of Robert Vadra-linked companies is back in the spotlight after the Rajasthan High Court directed an associate of Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in a land case in Bikaner while the Haryana Government decided to transfer another land case in Panchkula, relating to Vadra, to the CBI. The Congress has described these developments as “vendetta and witch-hunt” as also diversionary tactics to shift focus from all-round chaos triggered by the demonetisation.
“Whenever the BJP has been attacked, they try to divert the attention of people by saying such things. Why hasn’t the investigation managed to find anything on the case so farIJ” said Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.
However, senior BJP leader Subramniam Swamy accused Vadra of being involved in business of benami property. “There is no escape for Vadra now. He does every business by benami property. This is a good step by the Haryana CM and I am happy for this,” Swamy said.
The Rajasthan High Court directed an official of Skylight Hospitality Pvt ltd, a company linked to Vadra, to appear before the ED in a money laundering case related to land deals in Bikaner. The court rejected a plea filed by Skylight official Mahesh Nagar, who has been asked by the ED to record his statement and make himself available for interrogation between January 4 and 6.
Justice PK lohra has asked Nagar to honour the summons, but also directed the ED to interrogate him in the presence of his counsel.
The probe is related to the purchase of 275 bigha land allegedly by the company in the Kolayat area of the border town of Bikaner in Rajasthan.
The ED had registered a criminal case of money laundering in this case last year on the basis of FIRs filed by the State police after the local tehsildar had made a complaint.
The ED has not mentioned the name of Vadra or any company linked to him in the FIR but it named some State Government officials and some “land mafia”.
While filing the case, it had also taken cognisance of reports that had referred to a firm allegedly linked to Vadra which had purchased some of these lands located in Bikaner.
In the second case which gave jolt to Vadra, the Haryana Government on Friday said it has handed over to the CBI the probe into the re-allotment of a plot to Associated Journals limited (AJl) in Panchkula in 2005.
“This case (AJl) has been given to CBI for probe a few days back and soon the CBI will start investigation,” Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar told reporters on Friday.
The plot had been initially allotted to AJl, the owner of National Herald newspaper, in 1982.After the expiry of the lease period in 1996, the then Haryana Vikas Party Government led by Bansi lal resumed its possession. It was reallotted to AJl after the Congress came to power in 2005.
Haryana State Vigilance Bureau had registered a case of cheating and corruption against former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and four HUDA officials for allegedly realloting the plot to AJl in 2005 instead of going for an open auction.
In a ready response to the development, the Congress party described the ED move as “vendetta and witch-hunt”.
Reacting to the news, Hooda termed it as a modus operandi, witch hunt and political vendetta.”We have done nothing wrong during our tenure,” h said.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala claimed officials of Skylight hospitality have visited ED numerous times and supplied them whatever documents required but they have not been able to find anything either against Vadra or his company or associates.
“As part of further vendetta and witch-hunt, the BJP Government proceeded to refer the matter to ED. Even ED has not been able to find anything,” he claimed.
As for the court direction, the Congress claimed that the company has been given “appropriate relief” by the court.
He also claimed that the land of Mahajan Firing Range was allotted by the BJP Government in its last tenure when Vasundhara Raje was the Chief Minister. That land was sold twice during the tenure of the BJP Government and all mutations have been properly entered.
Out of this land, an extremely small portion was purchased by Skylight, which is a third buyer, he said.
However, Minister of State for Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal, who hails from Rajasthan, said, “The law will do its job. I just want to say if a common man would have liked to buy those land, I am sure they wouldn’t be allowed to do so.”