Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet in a special court against former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and several others in connection with the Panchkula industrial plot allocation case.
The charges include criminal conspiracy, cheating, and violations under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The accused are alleged to have misappropriated funds and secured undue financial benefits for themselves and others through fraudulent means. The CBI also submitted the Haryana government’s sanction for prosecution along with the chargesheet.
Apart from Hooda, the chargesheet names former Deputy Superintendent Bharat Bhushan Taneja of the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP). The court has directed its clerk to verify the documents and submit a report by June 4.
The case was originally registered by the CBI on May 19, 2016. According to the chargesheet, during his tenure as Chief Minister and HSVP Chairman, Hooda invited applications for 14 industrial plots in Panchkula. However, to allegedly favor certain applicants, rules were modified after the application deadline had passed.
The eligibility criteria were altered by reducing marks for experience and qualifications, while increasing the weightage of viva voce. Financial capability marks were reduced from 25 to 10, while interview marks were increased from 15 to 25. A total of 582 applications were received for the 14 plots.
Investigations revealed that plots worth ₹30.34 crore were allotted for just ₹7.85 crore, resulting in a significant loss to the state exchequer.
The CBI informed the court that prosecution sanction under Section 197 CrPC has been obtained against former IAS officer Dharampal Singh Nangal, while approval under the Prevention of Corruption Act is still awaited. A sealed statement of witness Narendra Kumar Solanki, recorded under Section 164 CrPC, was also submitted in court and ordered to be kept safe.
Key Accused Include:
Bhupinder Singh Hooda – Former CM and HSVP Chairman
Dharampal Singh Nangal – Former IAS officer and ex-Chief Administrator, HSVP
Subhash Chandra Kansal – Former Chief Financial Controller, HSVP
Bharat Bhushan Taneja – Deputy Superintendent, HSVP
Owners and associates linked to multiple firms and political figures, including Renu Hooda, Ashok Verma, Siddharth Bhardwaj, Kanwarpreet Singh Sandhu, Dr. Ganesh Dutt Rattan, Mona Bery, Dagar Katyal, Pradeep Kumar, Manjot Kaur, and Nandita Hooda.
