Former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda 'main conspirator' in Rs 1500 cr Manesar land scam: CBI

Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was the “main conspirator” in the Rs 1500 crore Manesar land scam, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged. 

The CBI has alleged that land measuring more than 400 acres, whose market value at that time was above Rs 4 crore (approx) per acre, totalling about Rs 1,600 crore was thus allegedly purchased by the conspirators from the innocent land owners for only about Rs 100 crore (approx).

"This caused an alleged loss of more than Rs 1,500 crore to the land owners of village Manesar, Naurangpur and Lakhnoula of District Gurgaon," CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal had said on February 2 when the agency filed the chargesheet against Hooda and others. 

In its chargesheet filed before a CBI court, the investigative agency detailed the role Hooda and bureaucrats played in the alleged scam. 

According to an Indian Express report, the CBI has named Hooda the “main conspirator” in the alleged land scam. 

The CBI filed the charge sheet against Hooda and 33 others, including two retired IAS officers, at a special CBI court in Haryana's Panchkula on February 2 under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy and cheating and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Besides Hooda, his former principal secretary Murari Lal Tayal and former additional principal secretary and former UPSC member Chattar Singh -- both retired IAS officers, former Director of Town and Country Planning Sudeep Singh Dhillon and then District Town Planner (HQ) Jaswant Singh have also been charged.

29 builders and companies have also been named in the chargesheet.

“The then chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in criminal conspiracy with the officials and private builders abandoned the acquisition process and later on issued the licenses to the otherwise ineligible applicants. Thus, causing wrongful gain to the private builders and loss to public exchequer and farmers,” the chargesheet said.

It is alleged that on August 27, 2004 and August 25, 2005, the Haryana government issued separate notifications for the acquisition of 912 acres of land for setting up an industrial model township at Manesar, Naurangpur and Lakhnoula villages in Gurgaon.

Threatening the farmers with the governments acquisition process, builders allegedly purchased around 459 acres from farmers at prices in the range of Rs 20-25 lakh per acre to Rs 1.50 crore per acre, the CBI has alleged.

Around 350 acres of land were bought at throwaway price of Rs 20-25 lakh per acre, while another 50 acres at the rate of even Rs 1.50 crore (approx) per acre, it said.

In 2007, the builders allegedly gave a plea in the office of the then chief minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, seeking withdrawal of the acquisition process which was done two months later on August 24, the CBI has alleged.

The CBI claimed that the government allegedly cited frivolous grounds such as the shape of land not being appropriate for acquisition and many properties being under litigation to keep the land out of the acquisition process.

At the time, CM Hooda was also holding the charge of Town and Country Planning department. 

“The then chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in criminal conspiracy with the officials and private builders abandoned the acquisition process and later on issued the licenses to the otherwise ineligible applicants. Thus, causing wrongful gain to the private builders and loss to public exchequer and farmers,” the chargesheet alleged.

The chargesheet further said: “The state government, on pretext of public purpose, forced the landowners to sell away their land in panic. Having ensured changed of title, the government granted licenses to the very private builders who purchased the land at throwaway prices during the state-induced panic selling. It is nothing but blatant abuse of official power in gross violation of statutorily laid down process.”

The CBI named Hooda directly in at least one case for his alleged involvement in the release of five acres of land and grant of change of land use (CLU).

“Payment of Rs. 57,39,750 on account of conversion charges and EDC (external development charges) made to Town and Country Planning Department by Sh. Gaurav Choudhry in respect of CLU granted in 5 acres to M/s Flair Realtors Pvt. Ltd and other were made from the account of another company M/s Millenia Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd,” the chargesheet said.
 
“The Directors of M/s Millenia Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. are Sh. Sukhinder Singh Hooda (nephew of ex-CM Haryana Sh. BS Hooda) and Sh. Arvind Walia (maternal uncle of Gaurav Choudhry). Thus, it revealed that the family of Sh. Bhupinder Singh Hooda had business interest and this was also one of the vested interest of Sh. B.S. Hooda for release of land and grant of licenses/ CLU”.

Asked about the charges made by the CBI Hooda said, “My nephew did not take any CLU. There was no family business interest into it. I have yet not got copy of the chargesheet. All I can say at this stage is that no illegality was committed. I can comment further only after seeing the chargesheet. We shall reply in the court.”

(With PTI inputs)