Rajasthan News: Vasundhara Raje and four other leaders get major relief from the court, 10-year-old petition dismissed

The subordinate court in Jaipur has granted major relief to former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, former ministers Gulab Chand Kataria, Gajendra Singh Khimsar, Rajendra Rathore, and senior IAS officers C.S. Rajan, Veenu Gupta, and others in the Mahindra SEZ land case, a matter pending for nearly a decade. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court No. 11, Jaipur, dismissed the complaint alleging a ₹5,000 crore scam and misuse of power.

Case Details

The case pertained to Mahindra SEZ City in Jaipur, where complainant Sanjay Chhabra alleged that the Vasundhara Raje government had wrongfully changed the land use of government-acquired land to benefit Mahindra Group’s Anand Mahindra. According to the complaint, land reserved for roads, schools, and parks was proposed to be sold for industrial purposes. The proposal was prepared by then Industries Secretary Veenu Gupta, forwarded by Chief Secretary C.S. Rajan, and later approved by the state cabinet.

The matter involved around 500 acres of land, valued at approximately ₹5,000 crore at prevailing DLC rates. Allegations claimed that the total notified land of 1,000 acres was reduced to 446 acres, with the remaining land transferred to Life Space Developers. The complainant argued this caused a huge loss to the state exchequer and amounted to abuse of official position.

Court’s Verdict

During the hearing, the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate observed that the complainant failed to present any substantial documentary evidence in support of the allegations, relying solely on oral claims. The court held that such accusations could not be sustained and ordered dismissal of the complaint, giving legal relief to all accused.

Summary of Allegations

• Land use change: Reserved land for roads, schools, and parks allegedly diverted for industrial purposes.

• Proposal process: Drafted by then Industries Secretary Veenu Gupta, approved by Chief Secretary C.S. Rajan, and sanctioned by the Cabinet.

• Financial impact: Alleged loss of ₹5,000 crore to the state.

• Land transfer: 1,000 acres reduced to 446 acres, balance given to Life Space Developers.

Current Status of Key Figures