Ex chief minister Hooda reportedly indicted in land deals, including Robert Vadra's, by Dhingra panel
Government officials and private individuals have both been indicted for colluding in illicit land deals, said a former judge who studied controversial transactions in Haryana including one involving Robert Vadra, whose mother-in-law, Sonia Gandhi, heads the Congress.
Justice SN Dhingra, who was assigned a year ago by the BJP government in Haryana to study 250 land deals struck when the Congress was in power, said, "I have named each and every person involved, whether private or government." Stating that he cannot comment on details, the former judge made it clear that he has evidence of wrongdoing. "Had there been no irregularity, I would have submitted a one-line report. My report has 182 pages." He also said, "I have logged irregularities in grant of license and the persons who benefited from it."
The Congress faulted the developments for many reasons. They said Mr Vadra had not been summoned to answer questions in person, that the report has been leaked to the media, and that the Haryana government continues to follow the same policies in assigning land licenses that were followed by BS Hooda when he was Chief Minister.
"There is not a whisper of any allegations of any wrong doing, any wrong policy or any violation of any rule," said Randeep Singh Surjewala, who was a minister in the Congress government led by Mr Hooda.
Justice Dhingra submits his report to Chief Minister ML Khattar
Sources said that Justice Dhingra has found that Mr Hooda acted "contrary to the law". The former chief minister who ignored two orders to appear before Justice Dhingra, has said he wants the CBI to investigate the controversial deals.
Mr Vadra, his wife Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Mrs Gandhi have said that he did not indulge in any wrongdoing or accrue windfall profit because his family's party was in power.
The controversy around Mr Vadra is based on a 3.5-acre plot in Gurgaon that he bought in 2008 for 7.5 crores and sold just three months later for 58 crores to India's largest real estate developer, DLF, which too has denied wrongdoing.
Senior bureaucrat Ashok Khemka, who tried to cancel the land deal, has complained that he was not contacted for more information by Justice Dhingra who said he didn't find that necessary.