Robert Vadra appears before ED for questioning in Haryana land deal case
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New Delhi (PTI): Robert Vadra, businessman and brother-in-law of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate here for questioning in a Haryana land deal-linked money laundering case, official sources said.
The 56-year-old Vadra walked down for about 2 km, along with his security personnel and a media posse, from his residence at Sujan Singh Park in central Delhi to the ED headquarters on APJ Abdul Kalam Road.
Speaking to reporters, he charged that, "This is nothing but political vendetta. Whenever I speak for minorities they try to stop me, crush us... they tried to stop Rahul (Gandhi) in Parliament too. This is misuse of agencies and this is political vendetta".
I will cooperate with them like in the past, he added.
Vadra was first summoned in this case on April 8 but he did not depose and sought a fresh date, the sources said.
The probe against Vadra, whose wife Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is the Congress MP from Kerala's Wayanad, is linked to a land deal in Haryana's Shikohpur.
The probe pertains to a land deal of February 2008 where a company linked to Vadra-- Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd-- purchased a piece of 3.5 acre land in Shikohpur in Gurugram from a firm named Onkareshwar Properties at a price of Rs 7.5 crore.
It is alleged that the mutation of this land was done within hours. The Haryana Police had filed a case in this deal in 2018.
The ED will record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said.
Vadra has been questioned multiple times by the federal probe agency in a different money laundering case.
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Karnataka govt directs municipal corps to regulate, prohibit pigeon feeding
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued directions to municipal corporations across the state to regulate and prohibit feeding pigeons in public places, citing serious public health concerns.
Deputy Secretary to Government V Lakshmikanth has written to the Urban Development Department requesting it to issue directions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations to take immediate steps to implement the measures.
In an official note dated December 16 issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and released to the media on Wednesday, the department said uncontrolled feeding of pigeons in public places has resulted in large congregations of birds, excessive droppings and serious health concerns, particularly respiratory illnesses linked to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other lung diseases.
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"The commissioner, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Commissioners and chief officers of other municipal corporations shall take necessary action to mitigate the causes of dangerous disease spread by pigeon and enforce specified guidelines in their respective jurisdiction," the note said.
According to the department, these include a prohibition on feeding pigeons or causing pigeons to be fed in areas where it may cause nuisance or pose a health hazard to the public. Pigeon feeding shall be permitted only in designated areas in a controlled manner, subject to certain conditions.
"The designated areas may be selected in consultation with stakeholders. The responsibility for upkeep of the designated areas and compliance to the directions shall be taken up by some charitable organisation or an NGO. The feeding in designated areas shall be permitted only for some limited hours in the day," it said.
The note further stated that authorised officers of local authorities shall issue on-the-spot warnings and may impose fines for violation of the order, or lodge complaints to prosecute offenders under Sections 271 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
It also directed local authorities to conduct public awareness campaigns, including the display of signboards, banners and digital messages, explaining the health hazards associated with pigeon droppings and feathers, the content of the regulatory directions and penalties for violations, and alternative humane methods of bird conservation that do not endanger public health.
