The South India Times
(Special Correspondent)
The noose seems to have further tightened around the neck of yet another influential Opposition leader, former Union Minister in the UPA government, and senior DMK leader A Raja.
Call it sheer coincidence but on Thursday, two Opposition leaders received a setback.
While Rajasthan High Court has rejected the quashing of petition of Robert Vadra who is the son-in-law of Sonia Gandhi, the Congress party’s first family, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has confirmed the attachment of a 45-acre Benami asset of A Raja in Coimbatore, which is estimated to cost around Rs 55 crore. The only difference between these two leaders is that the DMK leader, who was also in the past accused in a multi-crore 2G scam, got acquitted later in November 2017, after undergoing 15 months in Tihar jail, while Vadra is yet to be prosecuted or charge-sheeted, although he is alleged to be involved in several major scams including the sensational DLF land deal. Vadra, the husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, faces investigation over the purchase of land in Bikaner’s Kolayat by Sky Light Hospitality LLP
The ED’s move to attach the 45-acre Benami land of A Raja in Coimbatore only explains the strong resolve of the Modi-headed NDA government at the Centre. The prime minister, in an interaction with the Central agency’s chiefs, made it clear that they should not care how influential or big the accused is and wanted to go after all and sundry. During ED’s investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) act, it could establish that Raja, during his tenure as Union Minister of Environment and Forests (2004 to 2007) granted environmental clearances to a Gurugram real-estate company. While ED did not name the company in its statement (even though it mentioned it as one of the largest real estate companies in the country and listed on BSE), according to the sources close to the investigations, the transactions pertain to DLF. In October 2022, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) charge-sheeted Raja, who is also currently the Nilgiris MP, in a disproportionate assets case that it registered in 2015.In its charges filed before the Special Court in Chennai, CBI alleged that in January 2007, a close associate of Raja– C Krishnamurthy had set up a company Kovai Shelters Promoters in which a payment of Rs 4.56 crore was received in February that year from DLF as commission for the purchase of land in Kanchipuram.
According to ED’s latest statement, the real-estate company paid a kickback to Raja as quid pro quo for awarding the environmental clearance in the year 2007.The kickback money was reportedly routed to a Benami company controlled by Raja and shown in the books as land commission. “It is found that Raja incorporated the company in the same year 2007 in the name of his family members and his close family friend, with the sole objective of using it as a vehicle to park the proceeds of crime,” the ED said.The Benami company was never engaged in any business activity since inception and the entire money received in the company was quid pro quo from the real estate deal and was used for acquiring land in Coimbatore, the ED further stated.
“Thus, the properties of 45 acres of land in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, worth Rs.55 Crore) have been purchased directly using the proceeds of crime, (illegal payment made as quid pro quo for obtaining Environmental Clearances) and have been provisionally attached by the Directorate. Further investigations in the case are under progress,” ED said in its statement.
CBI Case: In October 2022, the CBI filed a charge sheet against Raja for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 5.53 crore during his tenure as the Union Minister. In its charge sheet filed before a Special CBI court in Chennai, the agency had alleged that a close associate of Raja, C Krishnamurthy, had set up a company Kovai Shelters Promoters in January 2007 in which a payment of Rs 4.56 crore was received in February that year from a Gurugram based real estate company as commission to purchase land in Kanchipuram.
It is alleged that the payment was not for the land deal but a quid pro quo for giving the real estate firm the status of an infrastructure company by Raja during his tenure as Union minister, they said. In the charge sheet filed in August this year, the CBI has alleged that the company had not ‘undertaken any other real estate activity’ other than the purported land deal for the real estate firm.The company later brought agricultural land in Coimbatore.
The agency has alleged that as minister Raja had garnered assets worth Rs 5.53 crore, including the payment of Rs 4.56 crore to the company in which Raja’s close relatives were directors, which he could not satisfactorily account for, they said.
The CBI has alleged assets in question were disproportionate to the tune of 579 percent from his known sources of income, they said. The CBI registered the disproportionate assets case against the former Minister and 16 others, including his family members and associates, on 18th August 2015.The case was registered against A Raja’s nephew Parmesh, wife Parameswari (since deceased), his associate Krishnamurthy who is also director of Kovai Shelters Pvt Limited, wife of Sadiq Basha, an alleged associate of Raja who had committed suicide, and Reha Banu, a director in Greenhouse Promoters which was earlier owned by Basha among others.
The agency has accused them of accumulating assets to the tune of Rs 27.92 crore. Based on preliminary investigations, the agency said the wealth was disproportionate to his known income during the check period October 1999-September 2010.
From reading these extracts of the charge sheet, and analysing what is there in the public domain, one can clearly conclude that A. Raja will find the heat turning up on him. The wheels of justice turn slowly, but surely, as one can see.
