The Army land fraud case in Darjeeling threatens to turn into a major scandal with a probe indicating that an educational institution posing as an affiliate of the Mayo College in Ajmer was close to finalising more deals elsewhere to purchase military land.

This comes even as Defence Minister A K Antony today asked Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar to order an inquiry into the case that has brought some of the seniormost Army officers under the scanner. The Ministry inquiry will be separate from the Court of Inquiry (CoI) that has been convened by the Army, Ministry officials said.

In Kolkata, Lt Gen P K Rath, whose appointment as Deputy Chief of Army Staff has been put on hold, is being quizzed by a CoI headed by Lt Gen K T Patnaik, General Officer Commanding (GOC), 4 Corps.

While the original case pertains to illegal NOCs (no objection certificates) granted to an educational institution for transfer of land near the 33 Corps HQ in Sukna, a probe has brought to light that the same institution was allegedly in negotiations to purchase another chunk of land belonging to the Ranikhet-based Kumaon Regimental Centre in Uttarakhand.

Investigations show that the educational institution — comprising four firms JF Low and Company Ltd, Sheetala Vyapar Pvt Ltd, Mata Vaishnodevi Mercantile Pvt Ltd and Akshara Vanijya Pvt Ltd — was in talks to purchase land in Uttarakhand for supposedly opening a school. The sale was halted after an inquiry was launched into the Darjeeling fraud.

... contd.