The Central Bureau of Investigation has named former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda as an accused in the chargesheet filed in the AJL-National Herald Panchkula land grab scam.
Hooda is accused of misusing his position as then Chief Minister of Haryana to cause unlawful gains to the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and corresponding loss to the Government of Haryana. Hooda, who was also the then chairman of the Haryana Urban Development Authority, is accused of illegally allotting a government plot of land for ₹ 59 lakh to AJL. The actual cost of the land is estimated to be worth several crores rupees.
A CBI statement said, “The CBI has today filed a Charge Sheet Under section 120-B of IPC, 420 of IPC and section 13 (2) read with 13 (1) (d) of PC Act in the Court of Special Judge, CBI cases, Panchkula(Haryana) against Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the then Chairman, HUDA (then CM), Haryana; Motilal Vora, then Chairman, M/s Associated Journals Ltd. and M/s Associated Journals Ltd in a case relating to an alleged re-allotment of institutional plot No.C-17, Sector-6, Panchkula to M/s. AJL.”
Further investigation is continuing, the CBI said.