The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday registered 18 FIRs in connection with alleged irregularities in land deals in Rajasthan by companies, including one linked to Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra, PTI reported.
“The cases pertain to fraudulent and fictitious claims and allotments in lieu of land acquired for Mahajan Field Firing Range Bikaner, which is used by the Army,” a CBI spokesperson said.
On August 22, the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Rajasthan had recommended a CBI inquiry into the land deals linked to Vadra. The Congress had accused the Vasundhara Raje government of misusing the investigative agency ahead of Assembly elections in the state.
Rajasthan Home Affairs Minister Gulab Chand Kataria claimed that four of the 18 FIRs were filed against Vadra’s company, which allegedly purchased nearly 275 bighas of land illegally. “All the 18 FIRs are in connection with the purchase of close to 1,400 bighas of land using fake names,” he said.
Kataria also claimed that Vadra’s company was a third party to the purchase of around 275 hectares of land in 2010, plots of which it allegedly sold to a fourth party in 2012.
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