Priyanka Gandhi says got notice to firm, makes jibe at ED

A day after issuing notice to Skylight Hospitality, the firm allegedly linked to Mr Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in connection with a land scam in Rajasthan, sources in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday said its investigation has revealed that allotments were made in the names of dummy firms and certain private persons. “The land in 34 villages of Bikaner was supposed to be used for expanding the Army’s firing range in the area,” sources said.

Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday confirmed receiving the ED notice to the firm allegedly linked to her husband. She, however, made a jibe at critics for creating unwarranted hype and said the over-enthusiastic media broke the news “yesterday” while the copy has been received “today”. “Apparently we received it at 4 pm today, but you (media) received it a day before,” said Ms Gandhi. A notice has been issued to the firm Skylight Hospitality under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) seeking certain financial statements and other documents, sources said.

Sources said the ED suspects huge amounts of money was laundered in this case by people buying land at cheap rates through forged documents. The state government, while cancelling the mutations, had said these were not issued by the commissioner, colonisation, Bikaner.

The ED picked up the case, based on 18 FIRs filed by the state police in August last year, after the local tehsildar had made a complaint.

A criminal case under the PMLA was registered by the ED. Sources said the agency has taken cognisance of the earlier media reports that had referred to a firm allegedly linked to Mr Vadra which had allegedly purchased some of these lands. The Rajasthan government had in January this year cancelled the mutation (transfer of land) of 374.44 hectares of land.