E-Paper
Panchkula: Former IAS Tayal seeks CBI inquiry records in DA case
The court has issued notice to the CBI, seeking its reply to the application. The case will be heard on September 17, advocate DS Chawla, counsel for Tayal, said
Former Haryana principal secretary and 1976-batch IAS officer ML Tayal, an accused in the disproportionate assets (DA) case arising from the Manesar land deal investigation, has moved the special CBI court in Panchkula seeking production of documents related to a preliminary inquiry allegedly conducted by the agency before registration of the case.
The court has issued notice to the CBI, seeking its reply to the application. The case will be heard on September 17, advocate DS Chawla, counsel for Tayal, said.
The application states that the documents are necessary for a fair adjudication of the case. According to the application, the DA case was registered by the CBI on September 4, 2017, on the basis of a complaint by then CBI official Subhash Chander against Tayal and others for allegedly possessing disproportionate assets.
The application states that the Manesar land deal FIR, initially registered by Manesar police in August 2015 under provisions relating to cheating, forgery and the Prevention of Corruption Act, was later transferred to the CBI, which registered a fresh case on September 15, 2015. During the investigation, searches were conducted at several locations, including Tayal’s residence.
Tayal has claimed that no incriminating documents were recovered during the search of his premises on September 3, 2016. He has also challenged the subsequent registration of the DA case, alleging that it was lodged a year later on the basis of a false complaint.
He has further claimed that a detailed preliminary inquiry was conducted by Ram Singh, then ASP, CBI ACB Chandigarh, before registration of the DA FIR to ascertain whether a prima facie case of disproportionate assets existed.
During the inquiry, Tayal said he appeared before the CBI several times between November 2016 and January 2017 and submitted details of loans, properties, retirement benefits, vehicles and investments. He also provided fund-flow statements for 2002-03 to 2015-16 relating to himself, his wife Savita Tayal and ML Tayal and Sons (HUF). Statements of other witnesses were also recorded, according to the application.
Tayal claimed in the application that he was subsequently informed by Ram Singh that his presence before him was no longer required and as per the documents pertaining to his income and assets, no incriminating evidence has come on record.
Tayal has sought the inquiry-related documents, including the order appointing Ram Singh as inquiry officer, notices issued to various institutions and their replies, documents submitted by him, case diaries, witness statements and the inquiry report.
He has alleged that the investigating officer deliberately withheld these documents and did not make them part of the chargesheet despite their relevance to the defence. He has sought directions to the prosecution to produce the records and supply copies to him.
The CBI filed its chargesheet against Tayal, his wife and son in the DA case on February 8, 2024. Advocate Chawla informed that sanction for prosecution had not been granted against Tayal’s wife Savita.
According to the CBI case, Tayal allegedly possessed disproportionate assets worth around ₹9 crore between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2014. The agency has alleged that he acquired movable and immovable properties in his and his family members’ names through corrupt and illegal means by misusing his official position.
Tayal, who served as principal secretary to former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, retired in October 2009 and was later appointed a member of the Competition Commission of India for five years. Tayal’s wife Savita retired as a government college principal in Panchkula in 2012 and later served on the Haryana Public Service Commission, retiring in June 2016. According to the CBI, their son Kartik Tayal, a law graduate, worked as a land broker in Gurugram.
