Vadra's firm Skylight Hospitality gets I-T notice demanding explanation on land deals

While the Congress continues to defend party President Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra, calling accusations by the Haryana government against him a ‘vilification campaign in piecemeal installments’ the government has made its first move against him. The Income Tax department has sent his firm Skylight Hospitality a notice asking for an explanation about the company’s financial deals. [caption id=“attachment_2026085” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Robert Vadra. PTI[/caption] According to The Indian Express, “Vadra’s firm Skylight Hospitality, at the centre of a row over transactions with realty giant DLF and procurement of a commercial licence, has been asked to furnish “agreements to purchase and sale of immovable properties” since 2005-06.” This comes in the backdrop of two senior Haryana government officials reportedly finding that Vadra’s company Skylight Hospitality owned much more land than prescribed in the land pool policy in the state. The BJP government in Haryana had earlier accused Vadra of getting heavy bargains on land from DLF in return for political favours and also for taking an interest-free loan of Rs 65 crores. The Indian Express reports, “The I-T, sources said, has sought details of Skylight Hospitality’s transactions with DLF, its association with Onkareshwar Properties and “cost of acquisition of commercial colony licences” in Haryana. Skylight Hospitality held 3.53 acres of land in Manesar, Haryana and 470 acres in Bikaner, Rajasthan.” Meanwhile on Monday, the Congress had dismissed all accusations against Vadra with spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi saying, “We have already shown and virtually demonstrated that this is nothing but a vilification campaign in piecemeal installments… it is nothing but a re-think on the same issue into which a three-member committee of higher officials had earlier found no irregularity.” With agency inputs