Orissa police to probe Vedanta ‘forgery’

Saturday, May 24, 2008
Orissa police to probe Vedanta ‘forgery’

Bhubaneswar: A week after the Orissa High Court stayed land acquisition for the proposed Vedanta University near Puri, the police today registered a case to investigate the alleged ‘forgery’ committed by the Vedanta Foundation, which was planning to set up a world class university at an investment of Rs 15,000 crore.

“We have registered a case to probe the allegations against Vedanta as per the direction of the Sub-divisional Judicial Magistrate's (SDJM) court, Bhubaneswar,” Capital Police Station Inspector in-charge Rabi Satpathy told PTI, adding the case was registered under Section 156 (3) of the Cr.P.C.

The SDJM yesterday directed the local police to probe the allegation made by one 75-year-old Dwarika Mishra who lodged several allegations of “fraud” against the Vedanta Foundation, which was later renamed the Anil Agarwal Foundation.

The SDJM also directed the IIC, Capital Police Station, to report compliance within a week.

Vedanta officials were not immediately available for comment.

Mishra, in his petition at the SDJM court alleged that though Vedanta had submitted a document showing it as a public limited company on December 24, 2006, it was in fact a private limited company till May 7, 2008.

The petition alleged that the firm gave forged documents obtained from the Regional Director, Ministry of Company Affairs, Mumbai showing it as a public limited company.

Earlier, the Orissa law department had objected to land acquisition for Vedanta as it was a private limited company. The department cited provision under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 which did not allow the government to acquire private land for a private company.

Earlier on May 15, Orissa High Court's bench comprising Justice I M Quddusi and Justice S R Singharavelu, while hearing a petition filed by villagers, stayed land acquisition by the Anil Agarwal Foundation.

“Land acqusition in Samagara village under Puri Sadar Tahasil, shall remain stayed till the next hearing date on June 23,” the Court said.

The court had also issued notice to both the Orissa government and the Anil Agarwal Foundation to submit counter affidavits within three weeks.

The petitioner prayed before the HC that acquisition of land in Beladala village by the government which would be handed over to the company be declared as “illegal.”

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