A three-member inquiry committee set up by the Haryana Government has virtually given a clean chit to Robert Vadra, son-in-law of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, in a controversial land deal with realty giant DLF.
The committee is learnt to have set aside the concerns raised by whistleblower IAS officer Ashok Khemka, who had alleged that the land was undervalued to help Vadra earn huge profit.
Khemka had ordered cancellation of the mutation of the sale deed of over three acres of land in Gurgaon’s Shikopur village in October last year citing irregularities. Vadra’s firm Sky Light Hospitality had entered into the sale agreement of Rs 58 crore with the DLF for the land. When the controversy broke out, the Haryana Government set up an inquiry.
The panel headed by Haryana Additional Chief Secretary Krishna Mohan said Khemka had acted beyond the authority vested in him by cancelling the mutation of three-acre land to the DLF, following the deal with Vadra.
The report submitted to the state government is learnt to have stated that the factual position was much different from the one created by Khemka to cancel the deal.
The land deal between the DLF and Vadra became controversial when Khemka, a day after his transfer on October 12 last year and three days before he actually relinquished charge, had asked deputy commissioners of four districts in Haryana -- Gurgaon, Palwal, Faridabad and Mewat -- falling in the National Capital Region to inspect all documents registered from 2005 on behalf of Vadra or his companies in the capacity of vendor (seller) and vendee (buyer).
The report said Khemka, then Director General Consolidation of Holdings and Land Records-cum-Inspector General of Registration, applied his powers to the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1883. He had no such authority to act, the report is learnt to have said.
Khemka was also faulted for cancelling the mutation on October 15, 2012, as he had already retired by then, some news agencies said.
According to the report, in-principle approval for transfer of licence was granted in April last year by the Director, Town and Country Planning Department, and the licence was renewed till December last year after which the sale deed was executed by Sky Light Hospitality in favour of the DLF in September last year.
On its basis, the now cancelled mutation was sanctioned by the Additional Consolidation Officer, Gurgaon. Even another state government probe in October last year had given Vadra a clean chit.