CBI raids former Haryana CM Hooda's residence, 19 other locations in land allotment case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday raided former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's residence, along with 19 other properties in a land allotment case registered in 2015.

The raids come two days after Hooda demanded that the Manohar Lal Khattar government make the Justice SN Dhingra Commission report public and accused it of indulging in 'witch-hunt' and 'sensationalising facts'.

"I demand that the Government make the Dhingra Commission report public soon and stop this witch-hunt and sensationalising of facts," Hooda , who was the chief minister when the deals were signed, said.

In July, 2016, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had registered a case against Hooda and the Associated Journal Ltd under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a disproportionate land allotment case.

When Hooda was the chief minister, he allocated the land to Associated Journal Ltd in Panchkula under wrong terms. For this land allocation, the loss for the state government revenue ran into crores.

Hooda is already under CBI scanner for alleged irregularities in the allocation of industrial plots when he was chairman of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA). It is alleged that the 14 plots, ranging from 496 sq.m, were allegedly allotted at throwaway prices. Those allotted the plots included Renu Hooda, Manjot Kaur, Nandita Hooda among others.

Allegedly, all of them were related to politicians, bureaucrats and other influential people which included Hooda.

(With agency inputs)