CBI raids homes of Hooda, aides over farmland deal

NEW DELHI/ROHTAK: The anti-corruption branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation conducted searches at 20 locations, including the residences of former Haryana

NEW DELHI/ROHTAK: The anti-corruption branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation conducted searches at 20 locations, including the residences of former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, in a case of alleged irregularities in acquisition of land in Gurgaon. The farmers and landowners were apparently cheated to the tune of Rs 1,500 crore.

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The search operation also covered the residential premises of UPSC member Chattar Singh, who was then additional private secretary to Hooda, CBI sources said on Saturday.

Besides Hooda’s residence in Rohtak and Chandigarh, the premises of IAS officers — additional transport secretary, Haryana, S S Dhillon (then director town and country planning), the then principal secretary of Hooda, M L Tayal (now retired) —were also searched in the operation spread across multiple cities, the agency said.

During the searches at Hooda’s residence, the CBI alleged that it has found “fund transaction details worth crores of rupees” which are being scrutinised by the agency.

Reacting to the raids, Hooda said it was political vendetta. “They can do whatever they want to do. There are not going to get anything in it, for, there is nothing wrong in it,” he said.

“In the ongoing investigation, the CBI carried out searches at 20 locations in Rohtak, Gurgaon, Panchkula and Delhi in connection with alleged irregularities in the purchase of land from farmers in Gurgaon,” CBI spokesperson RK Gaur said.

The agency had registered the case last September based on allegations that private builders, in conspiracy with unknown public servants of the Haryana government, had purchased around 400 acres from farmers and land owners in Manesar, Naurangpur and Lakhnoula, at throwaway prices.