R’sthan for CBI probe into Vadra deals

Yash Goyal

Jaipur, August 22

The Rajasthan Government has recommended 18 cases of alleged “benami” land deals, including four concerning Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra, to the CBI for investigation over the past one week.

Eighteen cases involving alleged land deals of around 1,400 bigha near Mahajan Ganj firing range by various persons and companies during 2010-2012 had been recommended for a CBI probe, said Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria. All cases were lodged at the Kolayat police station and some accused had already been arrested.

The land in question was traded not once but three/four times by local people and private companies. The exact names of buyers and sellers and their whereabouts were not known yet, Kataria said. About 275 bighas were traded by companies linked with Vadra. “These companies sold the alleged land thrice,” he added.

Addressing a press conference, Pradesh Congress president Sachin Pilot said: “Three functionaries of the BJP were arrested in the said land scam, what happened to them. The state government set up a CM sub-committee to probe the said case after it came to power in 2013, but the committee report has not been prepared so far. Who is responsible for that?”

The Raje government is politicising this issue in view of the forthcoming Assembly poll, he said. “The BJP in indulging in political vendetta against Opposition leaders, including Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejariwal and others,” he alleged.