Haryana land scam: CBI to examine 3 ex-bureaucrats

The CBI has decided to examine three former senior bureaucrats, who had worked with former Haryana chief minister Bhupender Singh Hooda as part of its investigations into the alleged irregularities in the acquisition of 400 acres of land by the private firms in Manesar, Naurangpur and Lakhnoula villages in Gurgaon in 2007. According to sources, investigation by the agency has revealed that private builders in conspiracy with certain public servants of Haryana government allegedly purchased around 400 acres of land from farmers in Manesar, Naurangpur and Lakhnoula near Gurgaon in Haryana at throwaway prices. “It is alleged that the acquisition was ensured by threatening farmers that the government was trying to acquire the land. In this process, initially, the Haryana government had issued notification 4, 6 and 9 of Land Acquisition Act for acquisition of land measuring about 912 acres for setting up an industrial model township at Manesar, Naurangpur and Lakhnoula villages in Gurgaon district,” sources said.

“An order was also passed by the competent authority, i.e. the director of industries, on August 24, 2007, releasing this land from the acquisition process, and the land was released in violation of the government policy, in favour of the builders, their companies and agents, instead of the original land owners,” sources said. The agency sleuths have identified the role of three former senior bureaucrats who had worked with Bhupender Singh Hooda in issuing the order in 2007. Mr Hooda was the chief minister of Haryana for 10 years from 2004 to 2014. All three former senior bureaucrats will be called for examination, sources said. The CBI on Saturday carried out searches at 24 premises linked to former Haryana CM, his close aides and former and current bureaucrats of the state government in connection with the case. The raids were conducted in Rohtak, Gurgaon, Panchkula, Chandigarh and Delhi, and included Mr Hooda’s residence and office.

Mr Hooda was the chairman of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA). The agency in its FIR alleged that the land measuring about 400 acres whose market value at that time was above Rs 4 crore per acre approximately totalling about Rs 1,600 crore approximately was purchased by the private builders from the innocent land owners for only about Rs 100 crore.