Express News Service
CHANDIGARH: Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and 21 others, including four retired IAS officers, were named as accused by the ED in its charge sheet in connection with alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 industrial plots at Panchkula.
A charge-sheet was filed before a special PMLA court in Panchkula on the charges of money laundering, punishment for money laundering, and other offences.
Sources said that Hooda was chairman of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) during which he allegedly allotted the plots ranging from 496 sq m to 1,280 sq m at throwaway prices after making changes in the eligibility criteria.
As the plots were allotted plots at lesser prices than the prevailing market rates, causing financial loss to the tune of several crores of rupees to the state exchequer.
The allotments were made by HUDA in July 2013 and approved by the former CM as its chairman on the recommendation of a standing committee. The ED had initiated investigation in 2015 based on an FIR by the Haryana vigilance bureau.
Former chief administrator of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) DPS Nagal, former administrator HUDA Surjit Singh, former HUDA chief finance controller SC Kansal, former HUDA deputy superintendent BB Taneja and two firms are among the accused.
In its investigation, the ED probe found that the price fixed for the subject allotment were kept four-five times below circle rate and about eight times the market rate.
The agency also stated that the criteria for allotment were altered 18 days after the last date of application to favour the pre-selected applicants by increasing the discretion at the hands of the interview committee.
