CBI begins probing 18 Bikaner land deals

New Delhi: The CBI on Wednesday began its probe into 18 cases referred to it by the Rajasthan government for alleged irregularities in land deals in Bikaner by companies, including one linked to Robert Vadra. CBI sources said the agency has re-registered 18 FIRs in connection with these land deals, which were earlier probed by the Rajasthan Police.

"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 here after the cases were registered on Wednesday evening. Among the 18 FIRs registered by the agency, 16 were lodged at the Gajner police station while two at Kolayat police station in Bikaner between August and September 2014, agency sources said. The cases were referred to the CBI by the Centre on the request of the Rajasthan Government.

The Rajasthan government had written to the CBI for a probe into alleged land scams in Bikaner, including those involving a company linked to Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra. The Congress had accused the state government of misusing the CBI ahead of assembly elections. Four FIRs are related with Vadra's company and now the state government has written to the CBI to investigate them altogether. Reacting to this, state Congress president Sachin Pilot had said, "BJP misuses CBI, ED (Enforcement Directorate) and other agencies for political gains. In this alleged land scam case, the state government had formed a committee but the committee's findings were not disclosed by the government."

He had said, "Those who have been arrested in the land scam are connected with BJP. If BJP people are being arrested in the land scam, then we are ready for any probe."