The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a charge sheet against former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and senior Congress leader Motilal Vora in a case of re-allotment of a Panchkula plot to Associated Journals Limited, the publisher of the National Herald newspaper.

Filed in the court of special CBI judge Jagdeep Singh, it charges Hooda, in his ex-officio capacity as Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) chairman, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. On November 15, Haryana governor Satyadev Narayan Arya accorded sanction to prosecute Hooda in the case.

In the charge sheet, the CBI has alleged that the AJL was allotted the plot in Panchkula in 1982, and as no construction took place till 1992, the HUDA had subsequently taken back its possession. The same plot was re-allotted to the AJL at the original rates in 2005 by then HUDA chairman, Hooda in alleged violations of the laid down norms , it said.

The AJL is reportedly controlled by senior Congress leaders, including members of the Gandhi family.

The CBI had sought sanction from the state government to prosecute the former chief minister in October. Under the amended Prevention of Corruption Act, the investigation agency now has to take prior sanction from the state government to prosecute a former public servant who served in it.

This is the second charge-sheet that the CBI has filed against Hooda. The first one was filed earlier this year in the Manesar land matter.

Hooda, however, recently alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state had nothing to show in their achievement card except indulge in political vendetta against him.

No role of officials

The CBI found that the government officials had no role in the allotment of plot to AJL as they had opposed the allotment on the file.

The state Vigilance Bureau had in May 2016 booked Hooda and three officials – the then chief administrator, HUDA, SS Dhillon; the then principal secretary, town and country planning, Shakuntla Jakhu and then administrator, HUDA (HQ), Vineet Garg for allegedly restoring the resumed plot.

Hindustan Times had in 2016 reported that BJP government had wrongly named the officials in the FIR registered by Vigilance Bureau. The three officials named had written on the file that fresh allotment can be made at at current allotment rates, that there was no merit in the AJL’s request for restoration and the case needs to be filed. Even the law secretary, in his opinion, had said there can be no question of re-allotment or restoration of the plot to the same allottee.

Officials had in writing opposed the restoration of the 3500 square metre plot to the AJL but were overruled by Hooda who passed a verbal order to restore it. .

The case was referred to the CBI by the state government for investigation in 2017. The CBI had registered a regular case under sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant), 420 (cheating), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (misuse of official position by public servant) against Hooda, the officials and AJL.

First Published: Dec 01, 2018 13:01 IST