Delhi high court to hear PIL on Vadra land cases - Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court Wednesday agreed to hear a PIL seeking a court-monitored CBI investigation into various land deals entered into by Robert Vadra firms and grant of licenses to change land use of agricultural plots purchased by his companies in Gurgaon.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Pradeep Nandrajog listed the public interest litigation (PIL), which also seeks a probe into land deals entered into by Skylight Hospitality Pvt ltd and its subsidiaries in Rajasthan, for a hearing on April 30.

The PIL that relies on several media reports, has been filed by a Supreme Court lawyer M L Sharma. It alleges that during 2009-2012, Vadra firms bought about 2,000 acres of land in Rajasthan for about Rs 10 lakh and within a week of the purchase, the central government offered tax sops to firms interested in investing in solar power sector in the area.

It has also sought quashing of a June 3, 2013, CAG order claiming an ongoing audit and inquiry into the grant of colonization license during 2005 to 2012 to Skylight Hospitality Pvt ltd and other real estate firms in Haryana was withdrawn by this order.

"Issue a direction to the respondent no.1 CBI to register a criminal case...In land deals in Rajasthan by the Respondent no. 3 (Vadra firm), its subsidiary companies and its directors having hand and conspiracy with the state/central government information creating huge loss to the public exchequer and poor farmers ...," the PIL demands.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had last year refused to entertain a similar plea by Sharma and had dismissed it.