Haryana Chief Secretary announces panel to probe Vadra land deals

October 16, 2012 | National News | Written by

New Delhi, Oct.16: The Chief Secretary of Haryana, P.K.Chaudhary, on Tuesday announced the formation of a three-member panel to probe land deals allegedly inked or exchanged between Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra and one of India’s biggest realtors DLF.

The announcement of the probe panel was necessitated following the massive uproar over the transfer of Haryana’s top land records officer Ashok Khemka after he had ordered an inquiry into all land deals linked to Vadra.

Chaudhary said the three-member panel would be headed by an Additional Chief Secretary.

He said that panel has been given a month to complete its probe.

Chief Secretary Chaudhary also reiterated the Government of Haryana’s stand that there was no undervaluation of property purchased by Vadra.

Earlier in the day, television channels milked the news of Khemka’s sudden transfer within hours of him ordering a probe into all land dealings of Robert Vadra, who is under fire over his business links with DLF.

Khmeka, then Inspector General of (Land) Registration in Haryana, in an order dated October 12, 2012 had asked the deputy commissioners cum registrars of the four districts of Gurgaon, Faridabad, Palwal and Mewat to inspect all documents registered from January 1, 2005 to till date by or on behalf of Robert Vadra.

Khemka was given his marching orders late at night for Khmeka. His transfer came as the country was still digesting the allegations made by India Against Corruption and Arvind Kejriwal that certain transactions involving realty major DLF and Robert Vadra wer suspect.

Importantly, Khemka had also cancelled the mutation of 3.53 acres of land that was sold by Vadra’s Sky Light Hospitality Private Limited to DLF, after he found irregularities in the transfer of land. The land deal in Manesar-Shikohpur reportedly had signatures by an unauthorised Haryana official, the document said.

The Manesar-Shikohpur deal was, in fact, the first in a series of major land deals between Vadra and DLF. Arvind Kejriwal had referred to it and alleged irregularities.

It was alleged that Vadra, reportedly, bought the plot of land for Rs 7.5 crore sold it to DLF for Rs 58 crore and used the money to buy premium DLF apartments.

By cancelling the mutation, DLF’s right over the land title also stood cancelled.

The Haryana IAS officer had on October 13 charged that the state government has “abruptly” transferring him, the 43rd in his career, as a “punishment” for acting as a whistle-blower in several dubious land transactions.

Khemka, a 1991-batch officer, has also pleaded for security as he feels “threat” from “vested elements” whom he has been exposing from time to time.

During his 50-day stint in the department, Khemka had detected serious irregularities in land transactions involving transfer of panchayat land worth several hundred crores of rupees to newly created real estate companies. (ANI with inputs)