Robert Vadra, Ex-Haryana Chief Minister booked for land scam in Gurugram
Gurugram, Sep 1 : The police on Saturday booked Robert Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and others in a land scam in Gurugram.
The case was registered on the complaint of Surender Sharma, a resident of Tauru, alleging that a company belonging to Vadra's Skylight Hospitality cheated him along with others.
A case was registered under sections of 420(cheating), 120 (hatching conspiracy) and 467, 468, 471(forgery) under the Indian Penal Code at the Kherki Daula Police Station here.
A senior police officer told IANS: "We have registered the case on the complaint of Surender Sharma against Robert Vadra and Bhupinder Singh Hooda."
After the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in Haryana, it set up a one-man commission of Justice S.N. Dhingra on May 14, 2015 to probe the land scam.
The commission probed the alleged irregularities in the grant of licence by the Haryana Department of Town and Country Planning to some companies, including those of Robert Vadra, son-in-law of then Congress President Sonia Gandhi, in Sector 83 of Gurugram for developing commercial colonies.
Deals were allegedly inked for land in Shikohpur, Sihi, Kherki Daula and Sikanderpur Badha villages in Gurugram.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
11 Indian nationals charged in US over visa fraud
New York (PTI): Eleven Indian nationals, living illegally in the US, have been charged with visa fraud for conspiring to carry out staged armed robberies of convenience shops, according to US federal prosecutors.
Authorities said the suspects are accused of organising fake robberies for the purpose of allowing the store clerks to falsely claim they were crime victims on immigration applications towards getting a Green Card.
Jitendrakumar Patel, 39, Maheshkumar Patel, 36, Sanjaykumar Patel, 45, Dipikaben Patel, 40, Rameshbhai Patel, 52, Amitabahen Patel, 43, Ronakkumar Patel, 28, Sangitaben Patel, 36, Minkesh Patel, 42, Sonal Patel, 42 and Mitul Patel, 40 have been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud.
They all were living unlawfully in various US states such as Massachusetts, Kentucky and Ohio.
Dipikaben was deported to India after unlawfully residing in Weymouth, Massachusetts, the Justice Department said in a statement.
Jitendrakumar, Maheshkumar, Sanjaykumar, Amitabahen, Sangitaben and Mitul were arrested in Massachusetts and released following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Friday.
Rameshbhai, Ronakkumar, Sonal and Minkesh were arrested and made their initial appearances in Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio. They will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, in March 2023, Rambhai and his co-conspirators set up and carried out staged armed robberies of at least six convenience/liquor stores and fast food restaurants in Massachusetts and elsewhere.
It is alleged that the purpose of the staged robberies was to allow the clerks present to falsely claim that they were victims of a violent crime on an application for a U non-immigration status (U Visa).
A U Visa is available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. The U visa offers an immigrant work authorisation and a path to a Green Card within 5–10 years.
Authorities said that in the course of the alleged staged robberies, the “robber” would threaten store clerks or the owners with an apparent firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing, while the interaction was captured on store surveillance video.
The clerks or the store owners would then wait five or more minutes until the “robber” had escaped before calling the police to report the “crime.”
The “victims” are alleged to have each paid Rambhai to participate in the scheme. In turn, Rambhai allegedly paid the store owners for the use of their stores for the staged robbery.
Rambhai, the “robber,” and the getaway driver were previously charged and convicted.
The 11 defendants charged on Friday are alleged to have either arranged with the organiser to set up each robbery, or paid for themselves or a family member to participate as a “victim.”
The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of USD 250,000.
