Former Gujarat CM Rupani issues legal notices to Cong LoP, 2 MLAs over Rs 500 crore scam allegations

Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani on Monday said he had slapped legal notices on Leader of Opposition Sukhram Rathwa and two of the latter's Congress colleagues for accusing him of being part of a Rs 500 crore scam. Last week, Rathwa and other Congress leaders had alleged that Rupani helped a private real estate development company by converting the use of land parcels in two villages under Rajkot Urban Development Authority as part of the Rs 500 crore scam.

"Soon after returning from America yesterday, I discussed the matter with my lawyer and issued legal notice to the Congress Leader of Opposition Sukhram Rathwa and MLAs CJ Chavda and Shailesh Parmar, seeking their apologies within 15 days or else I would move court with a defamation suit," Rupani told reporters.

He said this "political conspiracy" to defame him will not be taken lightly, adding that the opposition Congress was trying to divert the attention of the people from the fact that several members of that party had crossed over to the BJP.


Rathwa had claimed the land parcels in the two villages were originally meant for a private company to build a township, but acting on a request from company officials, RUDA passed a resolution for zone change of the land.

This proposal was then sent to the state urban development department which approved it when Rupani was CM, allowing the company to use the land for other purposes as well, Rathwa had alleged.

The Congress had demanded the cancellation of this order and had also sought a CBI probe into the issue.