CBI likely to begin probing Bikaner Land scam

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to begin probe into companies involved in the Bikaner land scam, including some allegedly linked to Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra.

On Aug 23, the former chief minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot accused the BJP-led union government of trying to manipulate public perception in their favour by recommending a CBI probe into the alleged land scam.

Terming the inquiry as "unfortunate", the Congress leader said that there was no point to order a CBI inquiry four years after the closure of the case that gave a clean chit to Vadra's company.

He also alleged that the land scams happened during Vasundhara Raje's previous term as Chief Minister.

The current Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has previously served as Rajasthan's Chief Minister from 2003 to 2008.

Gehlot said that Vadra is not at fault, so if CBI does conduct a probe they will not find anything.

The Rajasthan government in August wrote to the CBI for a probe into alleged land scams in Bikaner.

The issue dates back to 2007, when 1,400 acres of land in Bikaner was illegally sold to private companies. The land was meant to be given as compensation to farmers, whose plots were acquired by the government to set up the firing range at Mahajan. But instead, it allegedly went to fictitious beneficiaries.