CBI books Bhupinder Singh Hooda, IAS officer, 15 builders in land scam
Ajay Sura | TNN | Jan 26, 2019, 07:08 IST
Bhupinder Singh Hooda (File photo)CHANDIGARH: Two days after registering a criminal case against former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, senior Haryana IAS officer TC Gupta and 15 colonizers for irregularities in acquisition of around 1,400-acre land in Gurugram, the CBI on Friday raided 20 different places in Delhi, Chandigarh, Gurugram, and Mohali, including the ex-CM’s Rohtak residence in relation to the case.
According to the CBI FIR, the Haryana government led by Hooda had released around 95% of the 1,417-acre land to private builders between 2009 and 2012 and had granted them licences to develop housing projects. Of the total land, only around 87 acres was left with the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) and that too was proposed for providing public utilities such as hospital, power station, fire station and police station for the benefit of the private builders.
The land was acquired from Gurugram’s eight villages — Badshapur, Behrampur, Nangli Umarpura, Tigra, Ullahwas, Kadarpur, Ghatta and Medawas (Gurugram Sectors 58 to 63 and 65 to 67).
Documents, accessed by TOI, also reveal that the controversial acquisition process included lease of land to the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust, run by UPA chairman Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul and daughter Priyanka Gandhi.
Trust granted CLU for hosp
Trust granted change of land use (CLU) by Haryana for eye hospital in 2009 The trust had requested Ullahwas village panchayat in July 2009, a month after the acquisition process was notified, for lease of fiveacre three-marla land to set up a hospital.
In November 2010, the trust was granted CLU by the Haryana government for an eye hospital on this land. Thereafter, the then Hooda government had ordered release of land from government acquisition along with land released for other builders and private persons.
In November 2017, the Supreme Court had directed the CBI to register a case in this matter. Finally, on January 23, 2019, the CBI booked Hooda, TC Gupta, who at present is posted as additional chief secretary in Haryana’s power department, and 15 colonizers under Sections 420 (cheating), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and other sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.TC Gupta has been booked for his role as the then chief administrator of HUDA and director, urban estate, town and country planning, Haryana.
Prominent builders who have been booked along with former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Gupta, include DLF New Gurugram Homes Developers Pvt Ltd, Emaar MGF Land Ltd, and Ansal Properties and Infrastructure Ltd.
The preliminary CBI inquiry conducted by Vijyender Kumar, SP (anti-corruption) Delhi, claimed it has been prima facie established that land was released from acquisition process despite deviation; licences were fraudulently obtained by the builders/colonizers/ realty companies in the names of their collaborators; and the land was released from the government acquisition process irregularly allegedly in connivance with Hooda and TC Gupta.
The inquiry also found that the acquisition of land was notified for public purpose, but a large part of the notified land was released in patches to private builders.
Indicting IAS officer T C Gupta, the CBI inquiry found that the senior bureaucrat while posted and functioning as HUDA chief administrator had allegedly initiated the proposal for acquisition of land for public purpose but had not protected the interest of HUDA and of Haryana.
It further claimed that Gupta during his posting and while functioning as director, urban estate and director, town and country planning, Haryana, had recommended the release of major part of notified land in the garb of rule/regulation and policy of release of land, which resulted in failure of the acquisition process.
According to the CBI FIR, the Haryana government led by Hooda had released around 95% of the 1,417-acre land to private builders between 2009 and 2012 and had granted them licences to develop housing projects. Of the total land, only around 87 acres was left with the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) and that too was proposed for providing public utilities such as hospital, power station, fire station and police station for the benefit of the private builders.
The land was acquired from Gurugram’s eight villages — Badshapur, Behrampur, Nangli Umarpura, Tigra, Ullahwas, Kadarpur, Ghatta and Medawas (Gurugram Sectors 58 to 63 and 65 to 67).
Documents, accessed by TOI, also reveal that the controversial acquisition process included lease of land to the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust, run by UPA chairman Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul and daughter Priyanka Gandhi.
Trust granted CLU for hosp
Trust granted change of land use (CLU) by Haryana for eye hospital in 2009 The trust had requested Ullahwas village panchayat in July 2009, a month after the acquisition process was notified, for lease of fiveacre three-marla land to set up a hospital.
In November 2010, the trust was granted CLU by the Haryana government for an eye hospital on this land. Thereafter, the then Hooda government had ordered release of land from government acquisition along with land released for other builders and private persons.
In November 2017, the Supreme Court had directed the CBI to register a case in this matter. Finally, on January 23, 2019, the CBI booked Hooda, TC Gupta, who at present is posted as additional chief secretary in Haryana’s power department, and 15 colonizers under Sections 420 (cheating), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and other sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.TC Gupta has been booked for his role as the then chief administrator of HUDA and director, urban estate, town and country planning, Haryana.
Prominent builders who have been booked along with former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Gupta, include DLF New Gurugram Homes Developers Pvt Ltd, Emaar MGF Land Ltd, and Ansal Properties and Infrastructure Ltd.
The preliminary CBI inquiry conducted by Vijyender Kumar, SP (anti-corruption) Delhi, claimed it has been prima facie established that land was released from acquisition process despite deviation; licences were fraudulently obtained by the builders/colonizers/ realty companies in the names of their collaborators; and the land was released from the government acquisition process irregularly allegedly in connivance with Hooda and TC Gupta.
The inquiry also found that the acquisition of land was notified for public purpose, but a large part of the notified land was released in patches to private builders.
Indicting IAS officer T C Gupta, the CBI inquiry found that the senior bureaucrat while posted and functioning as HUDA chief administrator had allegedly initiated the proposal for acquisition of land for public purpose but had not protected the interest of HUDA and of Haryana.
It further claimed that Gupta during his posting and while functioning as director, urban estate and director, town and country planning, Haryana, had recommended the release of major part of notified land in the garb of rule/regulation and policy of release of land, which resulted in failure of the acquisition process.
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