HC to hear plea seeking CBI probe into Vadra's land deal

The Delhi High Court will next week hear a PIL seeking a CBI probe into licences granted to several real estate developers in Haryana, including one allegedly associated with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra.

A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Pradeep Nandrajog, posting the matter for April 30, said: "We will hear the matter next week."

Advocate M.L. Sharma had moved the high court saying several licences were issued to developers and builders for turning 21,366 acres of agricultural land into colonies without complying with the statutory rules. The decision caused "serious financial loss of Rs.3.9 lakh crore" to the exchequer, it added.

In the plea, he contended that allocation of licences for developing colonies was contrary to provisions of the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975.

It further sought quashing of the June 3, 2013 letter by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Shashi Kant Sharma allegedly rolling back the audit and inquiry into the grant of licence to Skylight Hospitality Pvt. Ltd that is said to be associated with Vadra.

The plea contended that the inquiry was ordered by Shashi Kant Sharma's predecessor Vinod Rai.

Sharma claimed that the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) issued hundreds of licences for over 21,000 acres of land spread over Gurgaon and other parts of the state from 2005-2012.

"Issuing of colony licences by the DTCP in Haryana in the name of an individual who is not owner of a land is not only illegal but also clear case of corruption within the provision of PC Act 1988. To support or give undue favour is an corruption what has been hatched in the Haryana colony licence deal for Robert Vadra and others," the plea said.

The public interest litigation was filed against the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), CAG, Skylight Hospitality, Robert Vadra, and DLF Universal Limited.

The lawyer sought registration of criminal cases against Skylight Hospitality, Robert Vadra, DLF Universal Limited under the Prevention of Corruption Act and initiation of investigation under the high court's supervision in licences for colonisation issued under the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975 during 2005-2012 including to Skylight Hospitality.

The petition also sought a probe into the land deals entered into by Skylight Hospitality (Pvt) Ltd and its subsidiaries in Rajasthan.