What is Manesar land scam and why CBI court has decided to start trial in case
Around 40 parties are facing charges
The Manesar land scam case has taken a significant step forward after the CBI Special Court, Haryana, framed charges against several accused individuals and firms on January 2. However, proceedings against some high-profile figures remain on hold by the Supreme Court, including former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and four retired IAS officers. The chargesheet was filed in 2018. About 40 accused parties, including companies, are facing charges in this case. After eight years, the charges were finally framed, and the trial is set to begin in March.
What did the CBI Special Court in Haryana decide?
The CBI Special Court has framed charges against several accused persons and firms in the Manesar land scam, allowing the trial to move forward. The trial is scheduled to start on March 2.
Why were charges not framed against former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda?
The Supreme Court granted a stay on proceedings against Hooda on November 17. Because of this stay, the trial court could not set charges against him.
Were other accused also granted a stay by the Supreme Court?
Yes. Before Hooda, the Supreme Court had stayed proceedings against several former IAS officers, including Rajeev Arora, SS Dhillon, Chattar Singh, and ML Tayal, as well as officials Jaswant Singh, Dhare Singh, and Kulwant Singh Lamba.
What argument did Hooda make before the trial court?
When former IAS officers had secured a stay from the Supreme Court, Hooda argued before the CBI Special Court that it was inappropriate to proceed with a trial against only some accused. He said the case should be heard as a joint trial involving all indicted parties.
How did the courts respond to this argument?
The CBI Special Judge rejected Hooda’s plea on September 19, 2025. Hooda then appealed to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which also dismissed his plea on November 7, 2025. He subsequently moved to the Supreme Court and obtained a stay on November 17, 2025.
What is Manesar land scam about?
According to the CBI, the notification to acquire 912 acres and 7 marlas of land was issued under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, on August 27, 2004, in the villages of Manesar, Lakhnaula, and Naurangpur.
Landowners hurriedly sold land at very low prices of Rs 20 to Rs 25 lakh per acre.
The CBI alleges that when all land was taken from the landowners by the land mafia under the threat of acquisition at minimal rates, an order was passed by the Director of Industries on August 24, 2007, for releasing the land in violation of government policy, favouring builders, their companies, and agents instead of the original landowners.
The CBI claims that the landowners suffered a loss of Rs 1,500 crore.
The investigation also revealed that the decision to release the land was based on a representation from a private builder, which allegedly contained forged signatures of several villagers. Subsequently, licences and CLUs were granted to the same private builders on approximately 260 acres of land, who had earlier purchased it at throwaway prices during the panic selling induced by the state.
Earlier, the CBI registered the case on September 15, 2015, and took over the investigation of FIR No. 510, dated August 12, 2015, which was registered for cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, at the Manesar Police Station, District Gurgaon, Haryana, at the request
