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Ashok Khemka, the Haryana-cadre IAS officer, who kicked up a storm by cancelling purchase of land by Robert Vadra in Manesar last October has said that top government officials “stonewalled” his requests for key information about the land deals of the son-in-law of Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
He accused the officials of appeasing their political masters and forgetting duty of public servants. Khemka’s statements came in detailed comments submitted by him to a state government committee.
State Government had constituted an Inquiry Committee comprising of three senior IAS officers of Haryana, viz, Shri Krishna Mohan, Additional Chief Secretary–cum-Financial Commissioner Revenue, Shri K.K. Jalan, Additional Chief Secretary and Shri Rajan Gupta, Principal Secretary.
“The members of the Committee in their zeal to appease their political masters forgot their true role to act like public servants guided by the rule of law and nothing else. The fundamental rule of natural justice, audi alteram partem, or the rule of fair hearing that no one should be condemned unheard was completely ignored. The undersigned was condemned unheard,” Khemka said in his comments, which have mysteriously popped up on Khemka's wikipedia page on the internet.
Khemka was not immediately available for comment.
Among the documents Khemka sought from the government include: A copy of all documents registered in any office of Sub-Registrar or Joint Sub-Registrar of the State by the Companies of Mr. Robert Vadra as either vendor or vendee.
He also sought if any representation or appeal or complaint received from “Mr. Robert Vadra or M/s DLF or M/s Onkareshwar Properties against the orders passed by the undersigned as Director General, Consolidation of Holdings u/s 42 of the East Punjab Holdings (Consolidation and Prevention of Fragmentation) Act, 1948 or as Inspector General of Registration u/s 69 (1) of the Indian Registration Act, 1908.”
The IAS officer had also sought “All relevant files related to the grant, renewal and transfer of licenses to the Companies of Mr. Robert Vadra, including M/s Skylight Hospitality; Details of land released from acquisition proceedings or not notified u/s 6 after preliminary notification u/s 4 of the Land Acquisition Act and which were licensed by the Department of Town & Country Planning in the past 10 years; The beneficial ownership of M/s Onkareshwar Properties, a licensee of the Town &Country Planning Department and all the relevant files related to grant, renewal and transfer of licenses to this firm”
“The undersigned’s efforts were completely stonewalled,” Khemka said, “The above queries were relevant to offer comprehensive comments on the issues raised, on which the Committee constituted by the State Government was supposed to give findings after ascertaining the facts.”
