Haryana revenue officials did not find any violation in Vadra-DLF deal

CHANDIGARH: During their investigation linked to an FIR registered against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the Haryana revenue officials have not found any kind of violation in the transfer of contentious land by Vadra's Skylight Hospitality to DLF.
The Haryana police, however, is probing the record of financial transactions that had taken place during the said deal, which had even become a poll plank in the 2014 parliamentary elections in the state.
A new special investigation team (SIT), comprising one deputy commissioner of police (DCP), two assistant commissioners of police (ACPs), one inspector and one ASI, has also been constituted by the state police on March 22 for investigation of the matter.
The Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government in Haryana had registered an FIR on the issue on September 1, 2018, at Gurgaon's Kherki Daula police station against Hooda, Robert Vadra, DLF, Onkareshwar properties and Vadra's Skylight Hospitality.
"It was reported by tehsildar, Manesar, Gurgaon that M/s Skylight Hospitality had sold 3.5-acre land to M/s DLF Universal Limited on September 18, 2012, and no regulation/rules have been violated in the said transaction," according to status report of Haryana police, prepared pertaining to the case.
Regarding the 350-acre land in Wazirabad, which was allegedly allotted to DLF during the Hooda regime, the report of tehsildar, Wazirabad, Gurgaon, stated that the land in question has not been found in the name of M/s DLF Universal Limited and the said land still exists in the name of HSVP/HSIIDC, Haryana.
The police, however, in its letter dated January 25, 2023, addressed to the estate officer, sought detailed information regarding the 350-acre land situated in village Wazirabad, Gurgaon, which was transferred to M/s DLF Retail Developers in 2010 by the Hooda government.
The police have also been probing other irregularities related to the FIR. A status report dated April 11 mentioning these facts has been submitted to the Punjab and Haryana high court by Dr Raj Shree Singh, IGP (crime0, Gurgaon in response to a petition regarding pendency of case against sitting and former MPs and MLAs in the state.
Explaining the status of this case in which Hooda is one of the accused, the Haryana police said that on November 5, 2022, a record was received from registrar of companies (ROC), Delhi and on November 16, 2022, a record was received from tehsildar, Manesar, Gurgaon pertaining to the case.
"The bank statement of M/s Skylight Hospitality and M/s Skylight Reality revealed that Rs 7.45 crore and Rs 7,43,44,500 had been transferred from the account of Skylight Hospitality to the account of M/s Onkareshwar properties on August 9, 2008, and August 16, 2008, respectively, pertaining to the transfer of land," says the report.
It has also been stated that the licence from Vadra's Skylight hospitality has not been transferred in favour of M/s DLF Retail Developers Ltd and the same licence (No. 203 of 2008) stands cancelled vide DTCP order dated March 9, 2022.
Police have also issued notice to Union Bank to enquire about the status of cheques mentioned in sale deed and relevant account statement of accounts related to M/s Skylight Hospitality and Ms/ Skylight Realty.
As per the police investigation, both the witnesses of sale deed number 4928 dated February 12, 2008, Mangatram Nambardar and Dhirender Dadwal have joined the investigation on March 31 and April 6, respectively. D S Yadav, deed writer and stamp purchaser towards sale deed (No. 4928 dated February 12, 2008), joined the investigation on April 3.