Rajasthan launches probe into Vadra land deals

The Vasundhara Raje government in Rajasthan has launched a probe into land deals of Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra in the state when the Congress was in power.

"The state government has directed collectors of Jodhpur, Barmer and Bikaner districts to gather information on deals and draft a factual report," sources in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) told IANS.

The collectors have been asked to submit the report by mid-May.

Sources said CMO officials were in touch with the collectors regularly and were monitoring the work.

It is alleged that the companies in which Vadra has stakes built a huge land bank of thousands of acres in Bikaner, Jodhpur and Barmer between 2009 and 2012. The then Ashok Gehlot government had announced sites for setting up solar power projects.

It is also alleged as soon as the sites were announced, the land was sold at heavy prices by the companies.

Several BJP parliamentarians, including Bhupendra Yadav and Arjun Ram Meghwal, earlier demanded a probe into the property deals allegedly involving Vadra.

Former chief minister Gehlot has termed the allegations baseless.- IANS