Court orders framing of charges against Hooda in Manesar scam

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 1

The CBI Special Court, Haryana, today ordered framing of charges against former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda and 32 others, including former IAS officers ML Tayal, Chattar Singh and SS Dhillon, in the multi-crore Manesar land scam.

The scam pertains to purchase of land from farmers at meagre rates and then earning huge profits by getting it released in connivance with bureaucrats and politicians.

CBI Special Judge Jagdeep Singh also summoned present Home Secretary Rajeev Arora, along with former IAS officer DR Dhingra, former Chief Town Planner (CTP) of Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) Surjit Singh, former CTP in Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department Dhare Singh, and former Deputy Superintendent of TCP Department Kulwant Singh Lamba, as additional accused in the case.

There is prima facie evidence of their involvement in a criminal conspiracy and cheating, ruled the court.

“For Arora, who was the HSIIDC Managing Director at the time of the alleged scam, the CBI has been instructed to submit prosecution sanction obtained from the state government. Dhingra was the Director, Industries, when scam dealings were being conducted,” said SPS Parmar, counsel for Hooda.

The court also dismissed discharge applications of Dhillon, Tayal and Jaswant Singh, former Chief Town Planner of the TCP Department, for being devoid of merit.

Builder Atul Bansal, who allegedly earned maximum profits in the scam, has been declared a proclaimed offender.

“The court has ruled that Hooda and other accused would face trial in the case. The actual charges to be framed for trial would be decided during the next hearing,” said Amit Dudeja, one of the defence counsels.

Tayal, Chattar Singh and Dhillon served as Principal Secretary to the CM during the Hooda regime.

The next date of hearing in the case is December 17.

4 more Addl accused

• DR Dhingra, former IAS officer
• Surjit Singh, former HSIIDC Chief Town Planner
• Dhare Singh, former TCP Dept Chief Town Planner
• Kulwant Singh Lamba, former Dy Spdt of TCP Dept