Chandigarh, Oct 16: As controversy mounted over a land deal between Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra and realty giant DLF, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda Tuesday said his government had not favoured anyone.
Hooda said he had asked state Chief Secretary P.K. Chaudhery "to examine assertions made by IAS officer Mr Ashok Khemka that appeared in a section of the press today".
Khemka was transferred as director general of Land Consolidation and Land Records-cum-inspector general of Registration, on Oct 11, just three days after he initiated an inquiry into Vadra's land deals in Haryana districts near Delhi.
Addressing reporters after offering prayers at the Mata Mansa Devi shrine at Panchkula near here on the first day of the auspicious period of Navratras, Hooda said: "In case the assertions made by the IAS officer proved someone guilty in the enquiry, action would be taken against the defaulter. And if Mr Khemka has misquoted facts, action would be taken against him."
The chief minister said his government was not favouring anyone and was "acting in a neutral manner".
Responding to a direct question on Khemka's transfer, Hooda maintained that transfers were the prerogative of the state government.
Khemka had Monday (his last day in office) ordered the cancellation of the mutation of the Rs.58 crore land deal between Vadra's company, M/s Sky Light Hospitality, and DLF. Khemka cancelled the mutation on technical grounds saying, in his official order, that the official who did the mutation was not authorised to do so under the law.
Khemka had, on Oct 8, initiated a probe into the land deals done by Vadra and his companies in four districts of Haryana neighbouring Delhi.
On Oct 12, a day after getting his transfer orders, Khemka directed the deputy commissioners of four districts near Delhi - Gurgaon, Mewat, Faridabad and Palwal - to inspect all documents of land deals by Vadra and his companies from 2005 to present to probe under-valuation of property to evade stamp duty. He sought a report on this by Oct 25.
