New Delhi, (PTI) CBI today 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.
The premises of then Chief Town and Country Planner Dhare
Singh, in Rohtak and Delhi, M S Chopra, the then Officer on Special
Duty (OSD) to Hooda, Randhir Singh (also the then OSD), the office
of Town and Country Planning, Haryana government, Jaswant Singh,
then District Town Planner, and the then Deputy Superintendent Town
Planning Department were also searched, the sources said.
The raids were spread in Rohtak, Chandigarh, Gurgaon, New Delhi
and Panchkula, they said.
It is alleged that initially the Haryana government had issued a
notification under the Land Acquisition Act for acquiring land measuring
about 912 acres for setting up an Industrial Model Township at villages
Manesar, Naurangpur and Lakhnoula in Gurgaon.
After that, all the land had allegedly been grabbed from the land
owners by private builders at meager rates showing the threat of
Government acquisition, CBI had said after registering the case.
It is also alleged that an order was then passed by the the competent
authority i.E. The Director of Industries on August 24, 2007 releasing
this land from the acquisition process in violation of the government
policy, in favour of the builders, their companies and agents, instead
of the original land owners.
The CBI has alleged in its FIR that in the said manner, land measuring
about 400 acres whose market value at that time was above Rs four
crore per acre approximately totalling about Rs 1,600 crore approximately
was allegedly purchased by the private builders and others from the
innocent land owners for only about Rs 100 crore.