Chandigarh, December 28: Amid speculations that UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra may get clean chit in land deals in Haryana, a high empowered committee of state government has prepared its probe report. Sources said the committee might submit its report on Friday or Monday.
The government had asked the committee to submit its report by December 26. The three member committee headed by additional chief secretary (revenue) Krishna Mohan on Thursday held a meeting to finalize it. No one among the three committee members including IAS officers Rajan Gupta and K K Jalan were ready to speak on the status or findings of the report.
But a source close to the committee said, "The report is almost ready." Haryana chief secretary P K Chaudhery, who is Delhi to attend a meeting, told TOI that he would be able to comment on the status of the report only after joining office on Friday.
Whistleblower IAS officer Ashok Khemka had on October 15 set aside the mutation of Vadra-DLF land deal noting that the assistant consolidation officer, who had sanctioned the change of title in the revenue record, wasn't competent to do so. Three days before it, Khemka had asked deputy commissioners of four districts Gurgaon, Faridabad, Palwal and Mewat to inspect all documents registered from 2005 on behalf of Vadra or his companies in the capacity of either vender (seller) or vendee (buyer).
Khemka, who was then director general of land consolidation department, was transferred on October 11 just three days after he initiated a probe into Vadra's land deals. The state government on October 19 constituted a committee to conduct an inquiry into the issues raised by Khemka in both orders.
There are speculations about the outcome of the committee as the government has already been stating that no wrongdoings were committed in the land deals of Vadra's companies. In a press release issued on October 26, the state government had quoted the rules to claim that the controversial mutation of land deal between Robert Vadra-DLF in Shikhopur village of Gurgaon district was executed as per law.
In another press release on October 16, the state government had even stated the then director general of consolidation (Ashok Khemka) should have issued notices to the parties concerned before passing the order. Deputy commissioners of four districts, where the land deals were executed, have already given a clean chit to Vadra and his companies.
My order can be challenged only in HC: Khemka
When contacted, Khemka said, "Neither the government informed me about the constitution of the committee nor I was ever asked to appear before the panel." He adds: "As per article 226 of the constitution, my order (regarding cancellation of mutation of Vadra-DLF land deal), can be challenged only in the Punjab and Haryana high court. No other government committee or agency can modify or set aside my order as it was passed on behalf of the state government under section 42 of the East Punjab Holdings (Consolidation and Prevention of Fragmentation) Act, 1948. It would be against the provisions of the constitution, if any committee usurps the jurisdiction of the high court."
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