Rajasthan land scam: 2 associates of Vadra-linked Skylight's official held

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has arrested two "main fraudsters" linked to an alleged Rajasthan land scam, involving a hospitality firm that lists Congress President Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra as one of its directors.

Jaiprakash Bagarwa and Ashok Kumar were arrested on Thursday, the agency said in a statement. "The ED has obtained important leads while investigating Kolayat (Bikaner) land scam case and arrested main fraudsters Jaiprakash Bagarwa and Ashok Kumar."

ED officials said Ashok Kumar is a close of aide of Mahesh Nagar of Skylight Hospitality. The Delhi-based hospitality firm on its website says Vadra is one of its directors since 2007.

"Kumar was used as conduit by Mahesh Nagar, who knew the fraudulent nature of land," the agency statement said.

The statement claimed that Skylight Hospitality had purchased 69.55 hectares of land for Rs 72 lakh and then sold it to Allegeny finlease for Rs 5.15 crore, earning profit of Rs 4.43 crore.

"During investigation it was found that Allegeny Finlease as a company is not involved in any real business activities and many of its share holders were found to be dummy or nonexistent."

Earlier, the ED had attached assets worth Rs 1.18 crore of government officials and others in connection with the case.

The ED has been probing the alleged scam in the purchase of land in Kolayat area of the border town of Bikaner in Rajasthan.

The agency registered a criminal case under the money laundering act in 2015, taking cognizance of the case filed by the Rajasthan police after forgery allegations.

The agency had earlier issued notices to Skylight Hospitality but had not mentioned Vadra's name or any company linked to him in its FIR.

The government had cancelled the mutation (transfer of land) of 374.44 hectares of land, after allotments were found to have been allegedly made in the names of "illegal private persons".

Revenue officials had said in the complaint that government land in 34 villages of Bikaner that was meant to be used for expanding the army's firing range was "grabbed" by the land mafia by preparing "forged and fabricated documents" in connivance with government officials.

ED suspects that huge amount of money was laundered in this case by people buying land at cheap rates through forged documents.