Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda (Express file photo)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a supplementary prosecution complaint in the Manesar land scam case, in which former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is an accused.
The supplementary prosecution complaint (equivalent to a chargesheet) has been filed against eight people and entities suspected to have been involved in laundering the proceeds of crime out of the allegedly fraudulent land deal.
Those chargesheeted include private builders and entities such as Atul Bansal and his wife Sona; ABW Infrastructure Ltd; Mahamaya Exports Pvt Ltd; Shashikant Chaurasia; Dilip Lalwani; Varinder Uppal; Vijay Uppal; Viney Uppal; Ravinder Taneja; TDI Infrastructure Ltd; Wisdom Realtors Pvt Ltd; and AB Rephcons Infrastructure Pvt Ltd.
Hooda has already been chargesheeted by the CBI, which is also probing the matter.
The ED has also attached properties worth Rs 108.79 crore in the case. “Investigation under PMLA revealed that builders/ private entities extorted the land from the farmers/ landholders on meagre rates by exhibiting the fear of acquisition. Farmers/landholders under different fears sold their land to such private entities who ultimately, sold the same to various builders who obtained licences and gained handsome profits…” an ED statement said.
On the role of the chargesheeted entities, the ED said, “Investigation further revealed that most of the lands were purchased by ABWIL Group which is controlled by Atul Bansal and after obtaining of licences; ABWIL sold the licensed / unlicensed land and licences to the private persons/ developers and thereby making huge profits.”
The ED initiated the investigation in the case on the basis of an FIR registered by Gurgaon Police, which was later taken over by Anti Corruption Bureau of Chandigarh and the CBI.