Robert Vadra
| Robert Vadra | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 April 1969 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Trader |
| Spouse(s) | Priyanka Gandhi |
| Children | Riahan, Miraya |
| Parent(s) |
Rajendra (father) Maureen (mother) |
Robert Vadra is an Indian businessman and the husband of politician Priyanka Vadra.[1][2] He is the son-in-law of Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. In the recent times, he is being highlighted in media because of his controversial relations and land dealings with DLF group.[3]
Biography
Robert Vadra was born to Rajendra and Maureen Vadra on 18 April 1969. Rajendra Vadra hails from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, and Maureen (née McDonagh) was of Scottish origin.[4] Rajendra was a resident of Civil Lines, Moradabad and ran a brass and wood handicrafts business. The family is originally from Sialkot, West Punjab, and Rajendra's father moved to India at the time of partition. Robert Vadra, who completed his schooling from The British School, New Delhi [5] had two siblings, Richard and Michelle.[6][7]
Vadra met Priyanka Gandhi when she was aged 25 and they married in 1997. The couple have two children: a son Raihan and daughter Miraya.[8]
Rajendra Vadra, father of Robert Vadra was found dead at a guest house in Yusuf Sarai area of New Delhi in 2009. His elder brother Richard committed suicide in 2003 and Michelle, his sister, died in a car accident in 2001.[7][8]
Businesses
- Rents from DLF for purchase of land, India's largest real estate conglomerate.[9]
- Sky Light Hospitality Pvt Ltd (owned by Vadra and his mother Maureen Vadra), is a partner in a firm that owns Hilton Garden Inn in the South Delhi business district Saket. DLF Hotel Holdings is another partner in this firm.[10]
- North India IT Parks Pvt Ltd
- Real Earth Estates Pvt Ltd
- Sky Light Realty Pvt Ltd.
- DlF projects
Controversies
Vadra-DLF Controversy
In October 2012, he was accused of taking an interest-free loan of 65 crores and heavy bargains on land from DLF Limited in exchange for political favors. DLF responded that it had dealt with Vadra as a private entrepreneur, that the loan was Business Advance which was given, as per practice of trade, to make payments for land purchased from Vadra, that the company did not sell him land at a throwaway price, and that no quid pro quo took place.[11]
His Facebook comment “Mango people in a banana republic" that was later deleted, had become widespread punch line for the news reporters and the public to talk about.[12][13]
On Monday, 8 October 2012, his Facebook account was shut, days after a controversy broke out over his business deals with realty major DLF. Civil society activist Arvind Kejriwal had raised questions over the rise in his fortune. In his account on Twitter, Kejriwal tweeted, “Evidence pouring in from mango men from across the country. Mango men would prove to be nemesis for the powerful.”[14]
Numerous reports have questioned veracity of balance-sheets of Vadra-owned companies, which claim to have received an overdraft of 7.94 crores from Corporation Bank. Corporation Bank has now denied ever providing an overdraft facility to that amount.[15] Robert vadra is involved in multi-crore corrupt land deals.[16] In response to the alleged DLF-Vadra controversy, the entire Congress came out to defend Vadra.[17][18]
References
- ↑ Aman Malik. "DLF-Robert Vadra controversy: A news round-up". http://www.livemint.com/. External link in
|work=(help) - ↑ "Robert Vadra not new to controversy". Rediff. 8 October 2012.
- ↑ http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/panel-to-summon-robert-vadra-over-land-deal/
- ↑ "Another tragedy in Vadra family", The Times of India, 20 September 2003.
- ↑
- ↑ "Priyanka’s father-in-law found dead in guesthouse", Indian Express, 4 April 2009.
- 1 2 "Priyanka's father-in-law hanged himself: Police sources", The Times of India, 3 April 2009.
- 1 2 "Who is Robert Vadra?", India Today, 10 October 2012. Retrieved on 15 February 2013.
- ↑ National Real Estate Development Council. Naredco.in. Retrieved on 13 October 2011.
- ↑ "Robert Vadra ties up with DLF, makes low-key entry into Real estate business" by Rohini Singh & Sruthijith KK, Economic Times, 14 March 2011, 02.30am IST
- ↑ "Full statement: DLF denies Kejriwal's allegations", NDTV, 6 October 2012. Retrieved on 15 February 2013.
- ↑ Veeresh Malik (8 October 2012) , "Mango People in Banana Republic", The Times of India. Blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved on 15 February 2013.
- ↑ "IAC asks Vadra to apologise for 'banana republic' FB post", Moneycontrol, 8 October 2012. Retrieved on 15 February 2013.
- ↑ "Vadra's Facebook Account Deleted". The Hindu. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ↑ "Corporation Bank denies giving overdraft to Robert Vadra", The Times of India, 13 October 2012. Retrieved on 15 February 2013.
- ↑ "Sonia son-in-law Robert Vadra amassed Rs. 300 cr in 3 yrs, DLF funded him: Kejriwal". http://www.hindustantimes.com/. External link in
|work=(help) - ↑ Modi slams Congress for defending Vadra – India – DNA. Dnaindia.com (14 October 2012). Retrieved on 15 February 2013.
- ↑ "Congress defends Vadra, BJP demands judicial probe", Yahoo News, 5 October 2012. Retrieved on 15 February 2013.