A K Antony orders CBI probe in defence land scam in Jodhpur

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister A K Antony has ordered a CBI probe into a land scam in Jodhpur allegedly involving transfer of a 4.84 acre Army plot to a trust belonging to a royal family in 2007 by officials of his ministry and the service.

Defence land of 4.84 acre was allegedly transferred to the private trust belonging to a royal family of Jodhpur that year. The plot of land, located in the heart of the city, is now being developed for commercial purposes and is worth Rs 15 crore, sources said here.

The Minister ordered the CBI probe recently after an Additional Secretary-rank officer completed the departmental inquiry into the allegations, they said.

In all the defence land scams, Antony has been of the view that there should be no cover up and no one should be protected.

In the Jodhpur land scam, sources said some top officials of the Defence Estate Organisation are under the scanner and their roles would be looked into by the CBI in its investigations.

The alleged scam comes after Adarsh and Srinagar land scandals, which are already being probed by the CBI.

In the Srinagar land scam, officials of the DEO had allegedly sold the land on which the IAF airfield in the city has been built and civilians had even come to take possession of the piece of land.