Dhingra hints at irregularities

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 31

The Justice SN Dhingra Commission set up by the Haryana Government last year to probe controversial land deals involving certain companies, including those owned by AICC chief's son-in-law Robert Vadra, has found irregularities in the land licence allotted to them by the former Hooda government. 

Haryana page: Vadra case: Cong may move court

Justice Dhingra, who met Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and submitted his 182-page report today, said: “Had there been no irregularities, I would not have written a voluminous 182-page report, a single line would have sufficed." 

Asked if the report confirmed the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) that the Hooda government had been soft on Vadra’s land deals, Justice Dhingra said while the CAG report dealt with only one aspect of the matter, his report was more comprehensive.

He said the report was in two volumes — the first on the findings and the second about the evidences leading to the findings. 

The third part consisted of additional documents given to him on June 30 that had propelled him to seek more time to investigate the matter. Asked if a private company (Vadra’s Skylark Hospitality), believed to have made windfall profits in the grant of land licence, had been indicted, Dhingra said he did not know which company was being alluded to. “My mandate was to inquire if there were any irregularities in the grant of land licence, who had committed these irregularities and who had benefited from the same. I have submitted my report on all three aspects, mentioning names” Justice Dhingra said.

He brushed aside allegations that he had taken favours from the Khattar government. Asked why he had not asked IAS officer Ashok Khemka (the whistleblower) to depose before the commission, Justice Dhingra said all those who mattered had been summoned.

Hooda has already questioned the legality of the one-man commission, claiming it was set up "against norms and without the approval of the state Cabinet with malicious intentions"