Hooda denies involvement as ED seizes Rs 834-cr assets

Chandigarh, August 30

Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said he had nothing to do with the Ullawas land deal case where the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized properties worth Rs 834 crore in 20 villages of Gurugram and Delhi.

Talking to mediapersons, Hooda said, “It is an old case. I have nothing to do with it. The FIR is quite old.”

The ED issued a press statement on Thursday that it has provisionally attached immovable properties, spanning over 400 acres and valued at Rs 834.03 crore belonging to M/s Emaar India Ltd (Rs 501.13 crore) and M/s MGF Developments Ltd (Rs 332.69 crore).

Both M/s Emaar India Ltd and M/s MGF Developments Ltd are being investigated for money laundering in connection with a residential plotted colony falling in Sector-65 and 66 of Gurugram.

The ED has initiated the investigation based on an FIR registered by the CBI in January 2019 under various sections of the IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act against Hooda, Trilok Chand Gupta, then Director Town and Country Planning (DTCP), M/s Emaar MGF Land Ltd and 14 other coloniser companies, added the press statement.

On June 2, 2009, the Haryana Government had issued a notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act on 1,417.07 acres comprising sectors 58 to 63 and 65 to 67 of Gurugram. Subsequently, a notification under Section 6 was imposed on approximately 850.10 acres out of 1,417.07 acres on May 31, 2010. From June 2, 2009 to May 31, 2010, nearly 600 acres were released in patches from acquisition proceedings for grant of licences.

The ED investigation revealed that M/s Emaar MGF Land Ltd had executed six ante-dated development agreements with farmers for land measuring 27.306 acres claiming that the agreements were executed in April 2009 but in reality, they were executed in March 2010.