NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has named former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and senior Congress leader Motilal Vora in its chargesheet in connection with the irregularities with the re-allotment of land in Panchkula to Associated Journals Limited (AJL).
The country's premier investigation agency, in its chargesheet filed in a special court, alleged that the allotment of the institutional land had caused a loss of Rs 67 lakh to the exchequer. The AJL is allegedly controlled by top Congress leaders.
In its chargesheet, the agency has charged Hooda, then the chairman of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), the then chairman of AJL Vora and the company under sections of the Indian Penal Code relating to criminal conspiracy and also under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The CBI alleged that the AJL was allotted the land in Panchkula in 1982 and was taken back by the HUDA after no construction was done on it till 1992. The allotment was cancelled in 1996 and Vora filed appeals to reconsider the case. However, they were dismissed. The chargesheet alleged that the same piece of land then re-allotted to the AJL at the original rate in 2005 by violating the guidelines laid down by the then chairman of HUDA.
There are six CBI cases and several other vigilance department investigations against Hooda which are currently underway. The CBI is investigating several scams, mostly related to illegal land grab that took place during his rule in Haryana.
Based on the CBI case, the Enforcement Directorate is also conducting a money laundering probe and has recorded the statements of Hooda and Vora.