Game over? CAG report says that Hooda govt favored Robert Vadra in DLF deal

By Newsgram Staff Writer

The CAG's new report has revealed that Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, was given undue favours by Bhupinder Singh Hooda led Haryana's previous Congress government.

The Comptroller and Auditor General report, tabled in the Haryana assembly on Tuesday, said that the "possibility of extending undue benefit to particular applicant (Vadra's company) cannot be ruled out". It has also questioned the "distinction" made by the Hooda government for Vadra's company in giving permissions.

The CAG has blamed former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda led government for obliging Vadra with quick sanction of the permissions required.

Vadra's company, Skylight Hospitality, sold a prime 3.5 acre piece of land in Manesar in Gurgaon district to DLF in 2008 for Rs.58 crore. The land had, however, only cost his company around Rs.15 crore and was sold to DLF after obtaining change of land use (CLU) and other permissions from the Hooda government.

Vadra's land deals were brought into limelight by senior bureaucrat Ashok Khemka, who was transferred by the state government to take heat from the scandal.

Alleging that Vadra's land deals caused loss of crores of rupees to the state exchequer, Khemka had marked a probe into all land deals of Vadra and his companies since 2005. But the Hooda government gave Vadra a clean chit and instead chargesheeted Khemka for his actions.

Vadra had bought land in four districts of Gurgaon, Palwal, Faridabad and Mewat in Haryana adjoining Delhi.