Allegations over land in Haryana baseless: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

In a strongly worded statement issued late on Thursday, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed her shock at a reputed newspaper jumping to conclusions without ascertaining the facts directly from her.

But apprehending that this is part of a political campaign to besmirch her reputation, she directed her office to release the details to the press in advance. The statement says that, in particular, she objects to the insinuation that the land she purchased had anything to do with the allegedly questionable purchase of land in Haryana by her husband’s company, Skylight Hospitality.

The press statement gives the entire details of the land deal – which she had made in her personal capacity with all the payments being made through cheques and according to market rates.

“Certain queries were addressed by a journalist of The Economic Times in relation to my husband (Robert Vadra) in which it was alleged that I had acquired properties with illegally acquired funds. It was incomprehensible to me that the correspondent would not even seek a clarification from me or my office directly therefore I addressed a letter to the editor of the publication setting out the truthful and correct version of facts. I consider it appropriate, lest any distortion happens, that the facts set out in my letter to the editor are contained in this press release,” she said in a statement.

Press statement from the office of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra that was released on Thursday:

Six years prior to the purported “land deal involving Skylight Hospitality” on April 28, 2006, Smt Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, purchased 40 Kanal 00 Marla (which equals 5 acres) of agricultural land in Village Amipur, Tehsil Faridabad, District Faridabad in Haryana.

The land was purchased for a total purchase price of ₹15 lakh, which was paid for entirely by cheque, which was the equivalent of ₹3 lakh per acre. The source of funds for the aforesaid purchase was rental income of Smt Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from property inherited by her from her grandmother Smt Indira Gandhi. The source of funds for this or any other property acquired by Smt Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has no relationship whatsoever with Shri Robert Vadra’s finances and/or Skylight Hospitality and no relationship whatsoever with DLF.

The prevailing Collector Rate for agricultural land in Village Amipur, Tehsil Faridabad for 2006-07 and as of April 28, 2006 (the date of purchase) was ₹3 lakh per acre.

Smt Priyanka Gandhi Vadra paid applicable Stamp Duty of 4% (applying to a women purchaser of rural agricultural land) amounting to ₹60,000 on the purchase price of ₹15 lakh.

Smt Priyanka Gandhi Vadra resold the said land to the original vendor pursuant to a right of first refusal on February 17, 2010 (four years later) for a sale price of ₹80 lakh entirely by cheque which is the equivalent of ₹16 lakh per acre and was the prevailing market rate at that time.

The article was updated at 15:36 hours