CBI registers FIR against ex-Haryana CM Hooda in AJL land allotment case

Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 6

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating and misuse of official position by public servants in the alleged re-allotment of a plot to Associated Journals Limited in Panchkula in 2005.

In an FIR registered by the CBI at Chandigarh on April 5, Hooda has not been mentioned by name, but as chairman of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), a position he held as CM at the time of re-allotment.

Besides the former CM, the then Chief Administrator and Administrator of the HUDA, Financial Commissioner of the Town and Country Planning Department and M/s Associate Journal Limited, the beneficiary of the re-allotment, have also been booked in the FIR.

Associated Journals limited is reportedly controlled by senior Congress leaders, including the Gandhi family. The group ran a now defunct newspaper National Herald.

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The FIR under Sections 409, 420 and 120-B of the IPC was registered at 5.35 pm on Wednesday on a written request of the Haryana government dated December 22, 2016 and January 22, 2017 and the notification dated January 27, 2017 of the Central government under Section 5 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act 1946 and on the complaint of Ashok Kumar, DSP, State Vigilance Bureau, Haryana.

The FIR mentions RS Gunjiyal, a DSP in the CBI in Chandigarh as investigating officer (IO) of the case.

As per facts of the case mentioned in the written request of the Haryana government, HUDA allotted plot number C-17 in Sector 6 of Panchkula to Associated Journal Limited on August 24, 1982.

The same was resumed on October 30, 1992 for non construction.

The allottee company filed an appeal, which was dismissed by the Commissioner, Town and Country Planning Department on October 10, 1996.

The government’s letter said that by abusing his position and power to give undue advantage to the allottee, in contravention of the policies and also against the advice rendered by the HUDA officials and the Legal Remembrance, Haryana, for re-advertising the plot, the resumed plot was re-allotted to the company at original rates plus interest thereon by the then chairman HUDA (the then CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda) on August 28, 2005.

The government’s request further adds that an FIR under Sections 409, 420 and 120-B was registered at police station, State Vigilance Bureau, Panchkula on May 5, 2016.

“The state government has considered the matter. Another case relating to the allotment of industrial plots of HUDA Panchkula is already under investigation with the CBI.

Keeping in view that persons in high positions are involved and in view of the complexities involved in the matter as well as the fact that the allottee company and its office-bearers have their offices/residences across many states, it has been decided to get the matter investigated from the CBI,” the government’s request to the CBI said.