The complainant in the FIR pertaining to suspected irregularities in a Gurgaon land deal in which Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra, former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and others are accused has not joined the investigation, Haryana police IGP (crime) Ashok Kumar has told the Punjab and Haryana high court while submitting a progress report of the case.
Surender Sharma, the complainant, did not respond to notices served on May 12 and July 17. Similarly, Gobind Kumar Goyal, former director, S Onkareshwar Private Properties, evaded notices served to him asking him to join the probe on April 25, and May 15.
The SIT has now issued fresh notices.
On April 25, Dhare Singh, former chief town planner (CTP), Haryana, joined the investigation. On May 9, based on the reply submitted by him, some queries were raised to Haryana CTP through email. The response is awaited. The IGP has also informed the high court that a letter was sent to Gurgaon district collector to seek the legality of sale deed no. 4928 dated Feb 12, 2008, but no answer has been received.
On Sept 1, 2018, an FIR was registered at Kherki Daula police station in Gurgaon on the complaint of Sharma, a resident of Tauru, that a company belonging to Vadra’s Skylight Hospitality allegedly cheated him along with others.
Hooda was also named in the FIR registered under Sections 420 (cheating), 120 (hatching conspiracy) and 467, 468 and 471(forgery) of Indian Penal Code (IPC). Later, fresh charges under Section 423 (someone dishonestly signs or participates in a document that transfers or charges property, and that document contains false information about the consideration or the intended beneficiaries) of IPC were added.
One of the allegations was that Vadra’s company had purchased 3.5-acre land at Shikohpur in Gurgaon from Onkareshwar properties in Feb 2008 for Rs 7.5 crore and after obtaining commercial licence, sold the same property to real estate company DLF for Rs 58 crore.
It was alleged that in return, the then Hooda govt had allotted 350-acre land at Wazirabad in Gurgaon to DLF.
It was alleged that in return, the then Hooda govt had allotted 350-acre land at Wazirabad in Gurgaon to DLF.
Police have to submit the status report of the case before the high court hearing a PIL for expeditious disposal of matters in which former or sitting MLAs/MPs were involved. Since Hooda was also facing an FIR in the case, the investigation agency has to apprise the high court on every date of hearing regarding the progress of the case.
The police report has said that a total of 13 cases were under investigation, out of which seven pertain to the state vigilance bureau (now anti-corruption bureau), Haryana, against the former or sitting MPs/MLAs.
