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AJL case: Ex-Haryana CM Hooda cries foul, says Centre indulging in 'political vendetta'

Haryana State Vigilance Bureau had registered a case of cheating and corruption against former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and four HUDA officials.

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Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Saturday alleged that it is the BJP-led NDA government's modus operandi to hand over the inquiry into the alleged re-allotment of a plot to Associated Journals Limited (AJL) in Panchkula in 2005 to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Hooda told ANI that the government is indulging in political vendetta and witch hunting by coming after him in the case.

"This is their modus operandi. In other cases also they have adopted the same method because once you register a case and then refer to CBI, the CBI does not go for preliminary enquiry. Nothing is wrong done during my tenure. This is just political vendetta and witch hunting. In other cases also they have adopted the same method," Hooda told ANI.

The BJP government in Haryana has handed over the enquiry into the alleged re-allotment of a plot to AJL in Panchkula in 2005 to the CBI.

"We handed over the case to CBI a few days back. The agency will soon start its inquiry," Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar told the media on Friday.

Haryana State Vigilance Bureau had registered a case of cheating and corruption against former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and four HUDA officials for allegedly re-alloting a plot to AJL in 2005.

The case under various IPC sections, including criminal breach of trust by a public servant, cheating, criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against Hooda, the then Haryana Urban Development Authority chairman, a post held by him ex-officio as the CM, and four of its top officials then, on May 5 this year. The plot had been initially allotted to AJL, the owner of National Herald newspaper, in 1982.

After the expiry of the lease period in 1996, the then Haryana Vikas Party goverment led by Bansi Lal resumed its possession. It was reallotted to AJL after the Congress leader came to power in 2005. The vigilance bureau had alleged that the act by the then HUDA chairman and the officials had caused a huge financial loss to the public sector undertaking as the plot should have been sold through open auction instead of being allotted again to AJL. Hooda had then alleged it was political vendetta.

With PTI/ANI inputs.

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