CHANDIGARH: Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was booked by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday in the case of re-allotment of a plot to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the company that owned the Congress-controlled National Herald newspaper, in Panchkula in 2005.
Former chief minister and in that capacity, also the ex-officio chairman of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), Hooda was booked for criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating and misuse of official position by the public servant in the case of re-allotment of a plot to AJL.
According to sources, the AJL was allotted a plot in Panchkula in 1982 on which no construction took place till 1992 and subsequently HUDA took back possession of the plot. However, under the chairmanship of Hooda, the same plot (no C-17), measuring 3,360 square meter, in Sector 6 of Panchkula was re-allotted to AJL at original rates on June 29, 2005, by allegedly violating the laid down norms.
Last year, Hooda was booked by the Haryana State Vigilance Bureau with senior IAS officials, two financial commissioners, chief administrator and the administrator of HUDA for allegedly having caused HUDA a loss of several crores as the plot should have been sold through an open auction instead of being allotted again to AJL.
However, Congress leaders, including Hooda, had claimed that everything was according to established rules and regulations.
Last year in another case, the CBI had booked Hooda along with thirteen others for irregularities in industrial plot allocation at Panchkula. The CBI alleged that Hooda had allotted fourteen plots (ranging from 496 square metre to 1,280 square metre) at throwaway prices after changing the eligibility criteria.
The ineligible beneficiaries were allotted plots at rates lesser than the prevailing market rates, causing financial loss to the tune of several crores of rupees to the State exchequer, said the agency.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had also booked Hooda last year under the provisions of the Money Laundering Act, on the basis of a CBI FIR days after the CBI raided at his establishments. It was then alleged that Hooda caused a loss of Rs 1,500 crore to the farmers of Manesar, Naurangpur and Lakhnoula villages of Gurgaon in land acquisition.
It was alleged that private builders and government servants had purchased 400 acres of land in these three villages of Gurgaon at throw away prices by threatening the farmers that the government will acquire the land if they did not sell it immediately.