Panel probing Vadra land deals to get six-month extension

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana Government has in principle agreed to grant six-month extension to the Justice SN Dhingra Commission formed to investigate various land deals concerning Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, during the previous Bhupinder Singh Hooda regime.

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 24

The Haryana Government has in principle agreed to grant six-month extension to the Justice SN Dhingra Commission formed to investigate various land deals concerning Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, during the previous Bhupinder Singh Hooda regime.

“The government is favourably inclined to grant six-month extension to the Justice Dhingra Commission so that he can complete his probe by summoning all stakeholders for hearing in the interest of natural justice. A formal order will be issued soon following approval from Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar,” a senior official told The Tribune. Justifying the extension, the official said the probe began from one sector and was later expanded to 15 sectors in Gurgaon. The commission’s previous six-month deadline expires on December 7.

The commission was initially mandated to probe into the transfer or disposal of licences, allegations of private enrichment, “ineligibility” of beneficiaries and other related matters concerning Vadra’s firm M/s Sky Light Hospitality in Sector 83, Gurgaon. The scope of the panel’s probe was expanded on August 15 to four villages of Gurgaon--Sihi, Shikohpur, Sikanderpur and Kherki Daula--where residential sectors 36-A, 75, 75-A, 76, 77, 78, 79, 79-A, 79-B, 81, 81-A, 82, 83, 84 and 85 have come up. Over 200 colony licences were reportedly granted by the Congress regime in these sectors.

The issue had surfaced after IAS officer Ashok Khemka, then posted Haryana Director General, Consolidation of

Holdings, had cancelled the mutation of 3.5 acres of land owned by the Vadra’s company in Sector 83, of which 2.7 acres was later sold to realty giant DLF.

The commission so far is learnt to have recorded the evidence of only a few of the 100 witnesses identified by the commission, who include revenue and town and country planning department officials. Senior officials of various departments were yet to be summoned, said sources.

The sources said the commission had at its disposal a very less staff: four employees (clerk, stenographer/typist, law researcher and office assistant) at Haryana Bhawan in Delhi and two employees in Gurgaon.