Press trust of india
New Delhi, Sept 3: CBI Saturday carried out 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 in which farmers were cheated to the tune of Rs 1,500 crore.
The search operation also covered the residential premises of UPSC member Chattar Singh who was then Additional Private Secretary to Hooda, CBI sources said. 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, they said.
During the searches at Hooda’s residence, CBI has found “fund transaction details worth crores of rupees” which are being scrutinised by the agency.
The sources said the agency team also searched premises of ABW Infrastructure Limited, its founder Director Atul Bansal in Rajokri and his brother Amit Bansal in Gurgaon was also covered in the operation resulting in the recovery of 22 items of forensic importance.
The role of firms associated with the builder like Innovative Infra Developers, Flair Private Limited among others is also under the scanner of the agency.
“In an ongoing investigation, 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 R K Gaur said.
The agency had registered the case last year in September on allegations that private builders in conspiracy with unknown public servants of the Haryana government had purchased around 400 acres of land from farmers and land owners of village Manesar, Naurangpur and Lakhnoula, district Gurgaon at throw away prices, showing the threat of acquisition by the government, during the period of August 27, 2004 to August 24, 2007.
It was alleged that a loss of Rs 1,500 crore was caused to the land owners of village Manesar, Naurangpur and Lakhnoula of Gurgaon.
