Taking note of a Public Interest Litigation seeking investigation into the alleged nexus between realty giant DLF and businessman Robert Vadra, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Thursday directed the central government  to submit a reply within the next three weeks.

Activist Nutan Thakur moved the court after she failed to get a reply on a representation she had earlier moved to the Prime Minister's Office with the same queries.

"Even though a number of ministers are busy issuing statements to defend Vadra, the prime minister has preferred to maintain a studied silence in the matter. I was left with no option but to seek judicial intervention," Thakur told reporters.

"We have now appealed to the high court to issue a direction to the central government to institute a probe into the goings-on between Robert Vadra, DLF and the Haryana government. Since so many ministers of the central government have openly come out in defence of Vadra , it will be best to entrust the inquiry to an independent agency," said Thakur's counsel Ashok Pandey.

The PIL contains a detailed list of the properties owned by Vadra and documents showing how DLF doled out a huge property to him -- in an alleged quid pro quo -- for land allotment at throwaway prices by the Haryana government to the realty giant.

The court has fixed November 21 as the next date of hearing in the case.