ED files prosecution complaint against Bhupinder Singh Hooda under PMLA

NEW DELHI: Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a prosecution complaint in the Panchkula Industrial Plot Allotment scam against 22 accused including the then Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

ED has filed a prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) in the Panchkula Industrial Plot Allotment Scam against 22 accused.

According to ED, the case involves the allocation of 14 industrial plots worth Rs 30.34 crore allegedly to the acquaintances of the then Chief Minister of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda in the year 2013.

"ED initiated an investigation on the basis of FIR No. 09 dated December 19, 2015, of State Vigilance Bureau, Haryana. The said FIR was transferred to CBI and subsequently FIR No. RC AC1 2016 A 0002 Dated 19/05/2016 under section 120-B, 201, 204, 409, 420, 467, 468, 471 of Indian Penal Code, 1860 and section 13 of the PC Act, 1988 for alleged illegal allotment of 14 industrial plots in Phase - 1 and 2 of Panchkula, Haryana was registered by CBI/AC-1, New Delhi," the official release reads.

"Apart from Bhupinder Singh Hooda, 4 retired IAS officers namely, Dharam Pal Singh Nagal (the then Chief Administrator, HUDA), Surjit Singh (the then Administrator, HUDA), Sh. Subhash Chandra Kansal (the then Chief Controller of Finance, HUDA), Narinder Kumar Solanki (the then Zonal Administrator, Faridabad Zone, HUDA) and other HUDA official Bharat Bhushan Taneja (the then Superintendent, HUDA) and all the 14 allottees and beneficiaries of the Industrial Plots Allocation case have been involved in the commission of the offence of Money Laundering. The prosecution complaint against above mentioned accused has been filed under the provisions of PMLA, 2002 before the Hon'ble Special Court, PMLA, 2002 at Panchkula," it said.

According to the ED, the price fixed for the subject allotment was kept 4-5 times below circle rate and 7-8 times market rate, it said.

All 14 industrial plots stand attached as per the provisions of PMLA, 2002 by Enforcement Directorate in August 2019 and the attachment was confirmed by the PMLA Adjudicating Authority in February 2020.

Further investigation is in progress.