The first two pages of the notings of the official file pertaining to the controversial DLF-Robert Vadra deal have gone missing. This was revealed after IAS officer Ashok Khemka, who had blown the lid off the alleged land scam, received a copy of the file through a Right to Information (RTI) petition.
The State Public Information Officer D.R. Wadhwa, submitted an affidavit before the State Information Commission on December 12 confirming the absence of the crucial pages. In response to a petition filed by Mr. Khemka, it said: "The undersigned made many efforts to trace out page no. 1 and 2 of the noting of the official file, but could not trace the pages. Hence, the pages could not be provided to the appellant."
Mr. Khemka had as Director General (Consolidation) had during the previous Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress Government in the State cancelled the mutation of the DLF-Vadra deal. He had cited irregularities in the deal.
The file, whose notings have gone missing, pertained to the committee which was set up by the Hooda Government to examine if Mr. Khemka had the right to cancel the mutation. The panel had later cleared the deal. The whistleblower IAS officer was chargesheeted for misconduct, his orders were termed invalid by the Government in 2012 and he was then transferred.
As the issue was raised during both the Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections, Mr Hooda had claimed that the Haryana Government had nothing to do with it and he would quit politics if any iota of wrong was discovered.
The BJP Government in the State now is keen on seeing the investigation into the matter to its logical conclusion. In early December, it had directed the Deputy Commissioner of Gurgaon to probe the DLF-Vadra land deals after which concerned Tehsildars were called to produce the land records of the same.
Haryana Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu also gave indications of follow up in the matter when he said that “necessary action would be taken” into the file notings goings missing and that “those found guilty would not be spared. No one is above law and Constitution.”
