Haryana Police seek government nod to probe Robert Vadra, Bhupinder Singh Hooda

Robert Vadra

The Haryana Police said on Tuesday they have sought permission from the state government to further probe the corruption case registered against Congress President Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and realtors including DLF.

The police on Saturday booked Vadra, Hooda, DLF and Gurugram-based Onkareshwar properties for their alleged involvement in a land scam worth Rs 5,000 crore in Gurugram in 2008. The case was registered on the complaint of Surender Sharma, a resident of Rathiwas village near Tauru, alleging that a company belonging to Vadra's Skylight Hospitality cheated people and the state.

A case was registered on charges of cheating, hatching conspiracy and forgery. The complaint read that Vadra's company purchased 3.5 acre land in Shikohpur here on the Delhi-Jaipur-Mumbai highway for Rs 7.5 crore in 2008 and later sold it to DLF for Rs 58 crore. The Haryana government then allotted 350 acres of land to DLF in violation of rules.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Shamsher Singh on Tuesday told reporters: "We registered the case immediately as soon as we received the complaint (On September 1). We have written to Haryana Director General Police B.S. Sandhu seeking approval of relevant authority from the state government to further begin investigation." Parliament passed the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill 2018 on July 24 to enhance transparency and accountability of the government but some of the provisions of the bill are drawing criticism on social media.

After the amendment to the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), 1988, a police officer needs prior approval of relevant authority or government to begin investigation. The same does not apply when the accused is caught red-handed. After the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in Haryana, it set up a one-man commission of Justice S.N. Dhingra on May 14, 2015 to probe the land scam. Deals were allegedly inked for land in Shikohpur and Sihi villages in Gurugram. Complainant Surender Sharma is known as a big property dealer and land owner.

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