The Ministry of External Affairs has again asked Pakistan to hand over terrorist Hafiz Saeed, who is the mastermind of the Mumbai Terrorist Attack of 2008. As per the 28th December report of Islamabad Post, the government of India has once again sent an official request to extradite the terrorist. Islamabad Post’s sources from the foreign ministry said they had received an official request to extradite Saeed as per the law.
Saeed is the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai Terror attacks. 166 people were killed during the attack. He is the founder of the terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba. Notably, the United States of America has also designated LeT as a terror outfit. Hafiz Saeed has a cash reward of USD one crore for his arrest. As of now, he has been lodged in prison since 2019 for funding terror activities. However, he has appeared in media reports several times that showed his arrest and sentence were only an eyewash.
He is believed to be enjoying the hospitality of the hostile neighbour’s administration while in prison. Not to forget, his political party, Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), is contesting the February 2024 General Elections in the neighbouring country. The party has fielded candidates in all constituencies. His son Talha Saeed is also contesting the upcoming elections.
Reports suggest that Saeed uses his experience with running terror outfits to lure voters. He has been promising to bring Islamic State’s entry into Pakistan if his party wins the election.
Tesla is finally coming to India. According to reports, Elon Musk’s electric car manufacturing company may announce its debut in India in January 2024 during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit scheduled to be held in Gandhinagar. The upcoming summit is the 10th edition of the annual global gathering of investors who want to take advantage of Gujarat’s pro-business policies.
Reports suggest that Elon Musk, founder and CEO of Tesla, is expected to participate in the summit. Local reports indicate the company is in the final stage of negotiations with the government for the manufacturing unit land.
Gujarat Health Minister and government spokesperson Rushikesh Patel said that the government is actively in talks with the electric car maker to finalise the deal on establishing the manufacturing plant in Gujarat.
As per Gujarat Samachar, Tesla may establish a manufacturing unit in Sanand. Tata Motors already has a manufacturing unit in Sanand. Tata Motors has also acquired the Ford’s plant in Sanand after the American car maker exited India. Maruti Suzuki, MG Motor, JCB, Honda two-wheelers and Hero MotoCorp also have manufacturing units in Gujarat.
A memorandum of understanding between the Gujarat government and Tesla may be signed during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. Earlier, Tesla also hinted that it is interested in establishing a battery manufacturing unit in India apart from a car manufacturing unit.
Several other states, including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, have their eyes on Tesla’s investments in the country. Gujarat’s favouring environment for Tesla is not only because of the land access but also access to ports to export the cars to other countries. Apart from Sanand, Becharaji and Dholera are also under consideration, according to the media reports.
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the United States, he met Elon Musk. At that time, Tesla hinted that the company was reconsidering its investment plans in India. So far, the high import duties in India have remained a deal breaker for the company. Tesla wanted to enter the Indian market by introducing cars made in the Shanghai Gigafactory in China, but the Indian govt wanted the company should start its Indian business with locally made cars. This led to a halt on the company’s plan to enter the Indian market. However, it seems the company has now changed its position of not investing in India.
Furthermore, Union Minister Piyush Goyal also visited Tesla facilities during his recent visit to the US. Following his meeting with PM Modi, Musk spoke about his leadership role in making technology inclusive so that digital infrastructure can be created, he said, “I can say he really wants to do the right thing for India. He wants to be open, he wants to be supportive of new companies, obviously, but at the same time, make sure it accrues to India’s advantage, which is obviously that’s the job I’m saying. I am a fan of Modi,” to ANI. In response to PM Modi’s tweet regarding his meeting with business leaders in the US, Musk tweeted, “It was an honour to meet again.”
In the wake of the economic crisis in Pakistan, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan, Najy Benhassine said that Pakistan’s economic development is limited to the elite which resulted in the country lagging behind its fellow countries, Pak Vernacular media reported.
He noted that Pakistan’s economic model has become ineffective and said that poverty reduction is starting to increase again, the significant reduction in poverty in the past is resurfacing, the thought is growing that the policy must be changed, economic development in Pakistan is not sustainable.
Najy Benhassine stated that the economic development in Pakistan is limited and benefits limited people, Pakistan is under the influence of environmental changes, and the deficiencies in the agricultural and energy sectors should be removed.
The country director of the World Bank said that the focus of energy reform should be financial stability, better distribution, private sector and focus on generating alternative electricity instead of expensive ones.
He said that Pakistan has an opportunity to become one for a bright future, but the system, cost of debt and sources of income in Pakistan are not sustainable, and spending on people and infrastructure development is limited, Pakistan newspapwer Dawn reported.
Pakistan is heavily exposed to climate change, with the potentially devastating impacts of climate shocks and natural disasters already apparent, he said in Development Advocate Pakistan, the UNDP’s quarterly development magazine providing a platform for Pakistan’s authorities, civil society and intelligentsia to exchange ideas on key development solution pathways in the country.
Benhassine emphasised that policy failures in the agri-food sector should be addressed. In agriculture, reforms are required to unwind the subsidies and price restrictions that lock smallholder farmers into a low-value farming system and encourage resource-intensive and environmentally damaging production practices.
The World Bank Country director said action was needed to change policies holding back development.
Reforms in energy sector should consolidate progress towards financial sustainability, improve the efficiency of distribution companies, including through increased private participation, and address the very high costs of electricity generation through increased renewable generation, the World Bank official said.
“The question is whether those with power and influence will take the opportunity arising from the current crisis to do what is needed. It is time for Pakistan to come together in the interests of a brighter, more prosperous, and more sustainable future,” the World Bank country director stressed.
The World Bank country director emphasised that fiscal management must be drastically improved, and debt servicing costs and domestic revenue mobilisation are at unsustainable levels, leaving inadequate resources to invest in human development and infrastructure, address economic challenges, and adapt to a changing climate.
Najy Benhassine also said that government spending also needs reforms, a free economy and growth will improve the quality of life, business environment especially small businesses needs a better environment.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The Congress Party has rejected the Shiv Sena’s (UBT) demand for 23 seats in Maharashtra in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The development came after Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi partners Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP met to talk about seat sharing for the Lok Sabha elections.
Despite the majority of its members supporting CM Eknath Shinde’s faction, the UBT Sena reportedly demanded 23 of the 48 seats in Maharashtra. According to Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction faces an enormous obstacle because it lacks sufficient candidates due to the party’s division.
Following the splits in the Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar’s NCP, Congress representatives at the meeting stated unequivocally that the grand old party seems to be the only one with an established vote share in the state.
Former Chief Minister and senior Maharashtra Congress leader Ashok Chavan stated that the parties needed to adjust. “While every party desires a larger share of seats, the demand for 23 seats by the Shiv Sena was excessive given the current circumstances,” he said.
According to Sanjay Nirupam, leaders ought to prevent conflicts over winning seats. “The Shiv Sena may demand 23 seats, but what will they do with them? The Shiv Sena’s leaders have left, resulting in a crisis. Shiv Sena faces a candidate shortage,” he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut stated last week that he and party leaders Uddhav Thackeray and Aaditya Thackeray met with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, as well as AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, before the recent Opposition bloc I.N.D.I Alliance meeting.
Raut did not specify how many seats the Congress and NCP would contest. The Shiv Sena was part of the BJP-led NDA alliance in 2019. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party is now a member of the MVA, along with the Congress and the NCP.
Eknath Shinde and 40 other Shiv Sena MLAs ‘revolted’ against the Shiv Sena leadership in June 2022, resulting in a party split and the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Shinde then joined forces with the BJP to form the state government.
On 27th December, just a day before the scheduled meeting on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal between Punjab and Haryana, the Aam Aadmi Party’s Cabinet Minister from Punjab, Laljit Singh Bhullar, called for merging Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh to form a “Maha-Punjab“. He said that Haryana and Himachal Pradesh were created by spiting Punjab, and now the bigger state should be reinstated by merging them.
He added that Chandigarh should also be included. Bhullar also accused the then-central government of splitting Punjab to create Haryana.
The Central Government should consider incorporating Haryana and Himachal Pradesh into Punjab. Responding to the Syl issue, AAP Punjab Cabinet Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar suggested that if Haryana becomes part of Punjab, many issues would be easily resolved. He also added that… pic.twitter.com/u6MF1E8Ent
In a statement, while speaking to the media, Bhullar said, “Haryana and Punjab are brothers. Haryana is the younger brother, and Punjab is the elder brother. BJP is trying to create differences between the two brothers. The separation (of states) should be demolished. The Centre should consider merging Himachal Pradesh and Haryana in Punjab so that we can become one. Chandigarh should also be included. It was Maha-Punjab earlier. There was a time when there was only one chief minister of Punjab. The Centre should reconsider merging the three states. People of Haryana will be happy too.”
Bhullar was in Bhiwani in Haryana when he gave the statement. The media asked Bhullar about his views on the SYL matter. Instead of providing a straightforward answer, Bhullar called for merging Haryana, Punjab and HP into one state.
What is the SYL water dispute
The canal, once completed, will enable sharing of the water from rivers Beas and Ravi between the two states. Before Haryana was formed, undivided Punjab was given 7.20 MAF (Million-acre feet) out of the total 15.85 MAF water flowing down Ravi and Beas. Among other stakeholders, Rajasthan was allotted 8 MAF while Jammu and Kashmir got 0.65 MAF.
After the creation of Haryana, the centre issued a notification allocating 3.5 MAF to Haryana out of the 7.2 MAF allotted to Punjab before the reorganisation. In a reassessment in 1981, the water flowing down Beas and Ravi was estimated at 17.17 MAF, out of which 4.22 MAF was allocated to Punjab, 3.5 MAF to Haryana, and 8.6 MAF to Rajasthan.
In 1982, PM Indira Gandhi launched the construction of the SYL canal at Kapoori village in Patiala. However, Akalis started a protest movement against it by the name of Kapoori Morcha. In 1985, then-PM Rajiv Gandhi signed an agreement with Akali Dal chief Sant Harchand Singh Longowal for a new tribunal to assess the water. Shortly afterwards, Longowal was killed by the terrorists in Punjab.
In 1990, the chief engineer working on the project, ML Sekhri and a Superintending Engineer, Avtar Singh Aulakh, were killed by Balwinder Jattana (mentioned in Sidhu Moosewala’s song), and following that, the construction of the canal came to a halt.
Reorganisation of Punjab
After the independence, East Punjab was the province that included current Punjab and Haryana, and northern parts of Himachal Pradesh. In September 1066, Punjab Reorganisation Act was passed by the parliament, forming the state of Haryana. The Act also transferred some regions to Himachal Pradesh. This separation was the result of the Punjabi Suba movement, which agitated for the creation of an autonomous Punjabi-speaking state. Therefore, a majority Hindi-speaking state Haryana was created. The Punjabi Suba movement gave birth to the violent Khalistani movement.
In a significant victory for India, a court in Qatar has commuted the death sentence awarded to eight former Indian Navy personnel to jail terms. This was informed in a press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs today, 28 December.
However, the quantity of the jail term awarded is not known yet.
“We have noted the verdict today of the Court of Appeal of Qatar in the Dahra Global case, in which the sentences have been reduced,” the MEA said in the press release. However, it added that the detailed judgement is awaited, adding that the ministry officials are in close touch with the legal team as well as the family members to decide on the next steps.
The MEA further added, “Our Ambassador to Qatar and other officials were present in the Court of Appeal today, along with the family members. We have stood by them since the beginning of the matter and we will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance. We will also continue to take up the matter with the Qatari authorities.”
However, the press release added that due to the confidential and sensitive nature of the proceedings of this case, it would not be appropriate to make any further comment at this juncture.
In October this year, a court in Qatar awarded a death sentence to eight ex-Indian Navy officers, accusing them of spying for Israel. The former Navy officers working for a firm named Dahra Global company were arrested in Doha on August 30, 2022. They have been languishing in the Qatar jail for over a year on charges of espionage and spying. India had filed an appeal against the verdict.
The government has been reportedly able to bring in more than Rs 1,163 crore since October 2021 which comprises a whopping Rs 557 crore that was made throughout a one-month cleanliness drive in October of this year. According to reports, since October 2021 an incredible 96 lakh physical files have been discarded from central government offices freeing up over 355 lakh square feet of space overall.
This has resulted in office hallways being cleaned and vacated space ending up for recreation centers as well as other beneficial applications.
Around Rs 600 crore was spent on India’s successful Chandrayaan-3 moon mission and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration could have comfortably financed two of such missions by selling junk such as files, condemned office equipment and defunct vehicles. As per reports, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dr Jitendra Singh remarked, “The Russian moon mission, which was unsuccessful, cost Rs 16,000 crore, and our (Chandrayaan-3) mission cost just around Rs 600 crore. Hollywood films based on moon and space missions cost over Rs 600 crore,” earlier this year.
This scrap clearance campaign has been spearheaded by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances.
The Ministry of Railways alone brought in about Rs 225 crore of the Rs 556 crore the government made from the initiative in 2023. The Ministry of Defence at Rs 168 crore, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas at Rs 56 crore, and the Ministry of Coal at Rs 34 crore were the other major contributors. The Ministry of Coal liberated the largest amount of space this year at 66 lakh square feet followed by the Ministry of Heavy Industry at 21 lakh square feet and the Ministry of Defense at 19 lakh square feet out of a total of 164 lakh square feet cleared this year, based on the report.
Approximately 24 lakh files were cleared out this year with the Ministry of External Affairs having the most 3.9 lakh files next to the Department of Military Affairs with 3.15 lakh files. The impact of the cleanliness program has culminated in an increase in the government’s overall e-file adoption rate to over 96%. The program covered around 2.58 lakh office sites this year.
V Srinivas, Secretary Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances stated, “The Special Campaign 3.0 for institutionalizing Swachhata (cleanliness) and reducing pendency represents India’s largest ever campaign for Swachhata in office spaces. The month-long campaign conducted in 2,58,673 offices across India and abroad, resulted in freeing up 164 lac sq ft of office space, weeding of 24.07 lakh physical files and earned revenues of Rs 556.35 crore from disposal of office scrap.”
He added, “The Special Campaign 3.0 was successful in a significant reduction in pendency with Ministries/Departments achieving nearly 100% targets in the redressal of public grievances, records management practices and replies to MP references. The Swachhata Assessment Report 2023 presents the leadership role played by the Council of Ministers and the Secretaries to GOI in the successful implementation of Special Campaign 3.0 under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi, documenting the best practices and innovations. The Swachhata campaign practices will be institutionalized in government with three hours per week being devoted to Swachhata activities.”
On Wednesday (27th December), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar revealed that he was not invited to the inauguration ceremony or Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. He also attacked the BJP, claiming it was unclear whether the party was using the issue for political or commercial purposes. “Don’t know if it (BJP) is using the issue for political or commercial purposes. We are happy that the temple is coming up for which many have contributed,” Pawar said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are among the over 6,000 people envisioned to be present at the Ram Lalla idol’s ‘Pran Pratistha’, or consecration ceremony, next month. Pawar meanwhile also asserted that he wouldn’t go even if he were invited to the inauguration ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
“I visit only two to three places of faith that I don’t speak about in public. We are all happy that the Ram Mandir is finally being built and so many people have contributed to see this day. I haven’t been invited and wouldn’t have visited even if I were invited. Faith is quite a private matter I think,” he said.
Notably, in the year 2022, the BJP alleged that Pawar was an atheist and possessed hatred for Hindu Gods and Goddesses. However, later Pawar clarified that he believed in Godly faith but never loved to exhibit it out in the open.
Earlier, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee stated that she would not attend the inauguration ceremony. “There is no question of Mamata Banerjee or any other representative of the TMC attending the Ram Mandir inauguration at Ayodhya next month. We don’t believe in mixing politics with religion,” a senior party leader was quoted as saying.
Also, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has turned down an invitation to attend the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) called the ceremony a private event by BJP and said that would visit the Ram Mandir after the BJP’s event is over.
“This is all politics, who wants to attend an event by the BJP? This is not a national event. This is BJP’s program, this is BJP’s rally. ‘Usme pavitrata kahan hai?’…We will visit (Ayodhya) after BJP’s program is over,” Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut said.
#WATCH | On the invitation for the grand consecration ceremony of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut says, "…This is all politics, who wants to attend an event by BJP? This is not a national event. This is BJP's program, this is BJP's rally.… pic.twitter.com/59tFXqiiYe
Extensive preparations are in place in Ayodhya for the consecration ceremony which is expected to draw 8,000 people. Speakers at the event include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat.
A significant number of people involved in the construction of the temple, including S N Subrahmanyan of the L&T Group and Natarajan Chandrasekaran of the Tata Group have also been invited by the trust. Despite the extensive preparations for the VVIP guests, Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Trust has been recommending pilgrims to pray at the closest temple rather than in Ayodhya on 22nd January in order to avoid overcrowding.
Attendees include the spiritual leaders of important temples like Kashi Vishwanath and Vaishno Devi, yoga guru Baba Ramdev, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, as well as representatives of constitutional and religious organizations. Actors like Rajnikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Dipika Chikhlia and Arun Govil, film directors like Madhur Bhandarkar, and businesspeople like Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani, along with renowned painter Vasudev Kamat and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Director Nilesh Desai are also invited.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad also reached out to veteran Bharatiya Janta Party leaders like Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi for the event.
The booking for obtaining ‘aarti’ passes kicked off on Thursday at the Ram Janmobhoomi temple ahead of the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22.
Aartis are performed three times a day (6:30 am, 12 pm, 7:30 pm) for Lord Ram Lalla for which passes are generated for the devotees, the section manager for ‘Aarti pass’, Dhruvesh Mishra, said.
“At Ram Janmabhoomi, aarti is held three times a day for Lord Ram Lalla — at 6.30 in the morning, at noon and in the evening at 7.30. In the morning, Sringar aarti takes place, which is followed by Bhog aarti in the afternoon and Sandhya aarti in the evening. Only pass-holders can attend the three aartis,” Mishra told ANI on Thursday.
On the number of people who can attend an ‘aarti’ at one time, Mishra said, “Right now, only 30 people are allowed to attend each aarti with a pass. This number could be increased as per the number of devotees in future.”
On the reasons for the limited number of devotees for the ‘aarti’ ritual, Mishra said, “We have a limited number of passes for now for the sake of protection of the temple premises and security reasons.”
On whether the passes could be generated free of cost, the section manager said, “The service is the same for all the devotees, whether elderly or young, poor or rich.”
Mishra said the online facility for generating the ‘aarti’ passes started a few days ago. Devotees can generate their passes online, collect them from the counter at Ayodhya and proceed for the ‘aarti’, he said.
“The online facility started a few days back. One can apply for the aarti pass on the official portal of the Ram Janmaboomi temple. A time limit has been allotted for the same. Devotees can generate their passes online, receive it there and then head straight for the ‘aarti’,” Mishra said.
On the documents needed for getting the ‘aarti’ passes, the manager said, “Only four documents are admissible for generating the aarti pass. These are Aadhar card, voter ID, driving licence and passport. Of these, the devotees are required to carry just one. They can show it to the official after receiving their aarti passes.”
The grand consecration ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla is scheduled for January 22 next year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address attendees at the grand event from the front of the ‘Singh Dwar’, the main entrance to the temple, sources said earlier on Thursday.
According to sources, lakhs of devotees are likely to pour into the temple town for the January 22 consecration.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On Thursday (December 27), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) named Robert Vadra for the first time in its supplementary chargesheet in the money laundering case against arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari. The ED established a direct connection between the Gandhi son-in-law Robert Vadra, CC Thampi and arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari.
In the chargesheet, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s name has also featured. Priyanka has been named in connection with a dubious land purchase and sale to an individual named HL Pahwa. That story was first broken y OpIndia in 2019.
The ED on the 22nd of December told the Special Court that CC Thampi, who worked for the absconding arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, is a close aide of Robert Vadra – the husband of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The link has been established by the ED in the supplementary chargesheet filed against CC Thampi and Sumit Chadha (said to be a close relative of Sanjay Bhandari) in a money laundering case.
This is the first time that ED has named Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in their chargesheet. ED’s chargesheet confirms OpIndia’s 2019 newsbreak regarding the Gandhi connection to the dubious land deals. “Further, Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wife of Sh. Robert Vadra also purchased agricultural land measuring 40 kanal (05 acres) in village Amipur, District Faridabad, Haryana from Sh. H.L. Pahwa in April, 2006…,” ED chargsheet reads.
Source: ED chargesheet obtained by OpIndiaED chargesheet detailing the land deal between Priyanka Vadra and HL Pahwa
Back in 2019, OpIndia had unearthed papers that linked Rahul Gandhi himself to Sanjay Bhandari through a string of dubious land deals involving HL Pahwa and CC Thampi – who the ED has now acknowledged is a close aide of Robert Vadra.
These papers are related to the ED search conducted on one HL Pahwa on 3rd May 2017 and 4th May 2017. The land dealings are between Rahul Gandhi and H L Pahwa who was funded by CC Thampi – CC Thampi was known to be a close aide of Robert Vadra.
As per the ED chargesheet filed in the PMLA court on 22nd December, CC Thampi has stated to ED that he was introduced to Robert Vadra by Sonia Gandhi’s PA Madhavan.
OpIndia revealed in 2019 that not only Rahul Gandhi but also Robert Vadra and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had purchased land from HL Pahwa. According to a sale deed dated 3 March 2008, Gurgaon resident HL Pahwa sold nine acres of land in Hasanpur village in Haryana’s Palwal district to Robert Vadra for Rs 36.9 lakh. In addition, a sale record from Rajasthan’s Bikaner district shows that Sarita Devi Bothra, 42, sold 4.63 acres of land in Basti village in Ganganagar tehsil for Rs 8.5 lakh to Real Earth Estate Private Limited, a New Delhi-based company, in April 2009. Notably, Robert Vadra is the company’s director.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has also bought land from HL Pahwa. OpIndia earlier reported that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra purchased land and then sold it for an inflated price to the same person four years later. The person in question was also HL Pahwa. On April 28, 2006, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra purchased land from HL Pahwa for Rs. 15,00,000 in two cheques, and subsequently sold it back to HL Pahwa for Rs. 84,15,006 via multiple cheques on February 17, 2010.
As reported earlier, here the link between HL Pahwa and CC Thampi emerges. When Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sold the land back to HL Pahwa at an exorbitant price, Pahwa repaid Gandhi in five instalments between May 22nd and September 11th, 2009. The stated reason for the instalment payment was ‘non-availability of funds’.
CC Thampi was arrested in 2020 and is currently out on bail. In February 2019, Robert Vadra was grilled for over 5 hours for his alleged links to CC Thampi. The Enforcement Directorate suspects kickbacks for a petroleum deal in 2009 were routed through the Sharjah-based company, allegedly controlled by a UAE-based NRI businessman, CC Thampi. Vadra was also questioned about owning Benami property in London along with CC Thampi and Sanjay Bhandari. Thampi has a company in UAE called Sky Light and in India, Skylight Hospitality Private Limited is allegedly linked to Vadra and is under the ED scanner for suspect land deals in Bikaner, Rajasthan. ED had served him a show-cause notice last year for violation of laws in the acquisition of agricultural and other lands in and around Delhi-NCR in deals amounting to over Rs 288 crore.
The ED chargesheet mentions that between 2005 and 2008 Thampi purchased around 486 acres of land from Pahwa in the same Amipur village in Faridabad. The chargesheet mentions that Pahwa was receiving cash ‘out of the books’ when Priyanka sold the land to him. Also, Robert Vadra reportedly did not pay the entire sale consideration to Pahwa.
CC Thampi is accused number 7 in the ED’s PMLA case against Sanjay Bhandari and associates.
