Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda gets bail in Manesar land scam

The Panchkula Special CBI court on Tuesday granted bail to former Haryana chief minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda in connection with Manesar land scam.

Hooda, who failed to turn up for previous hearing claimed that he was facing health issues.

The court has also asked Hooda to furnish a bail bond of Rs 5 lakh each.

On May 15, 2017, the CBI had questioned Hooda over alleged financial irregularities in the acquisition of the land.

The CBI had said that a loss of Rs 1,500 crore was allegedly caused to the land owners of Manesar, Naurangpur and Lakhnoula villages of Gurgaon. 

The purchase, according to the CBI, was made during August 2004-August 2007, under the "threat and false apprehension of acquisition of the land by the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government in Haryana". 

The agency then registered the case in September 2015 on allegations that private builders, in conspiracy with public servants of the Haryana government, had purchased the land at meagre rates showing the threat of acquisition by the government, during the period between August 27, 2004 and August 24, 2007.In this process, the Haryana government had initially issued a notification under the Land Acquisition Act for acquisition of land measuring about 912 acres for setting up of an industrial model township, it had said.

The CBI had filed a chargesheet against Hooda and 33 others in the Manesar land deal case in February this year.

The agency had filed the chargesheet under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy and cheating, and relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, they said. 

Former UPSC member Chattar Singh, who was a senior officer in the Haryana government at that time, was also named in the chargesheet as an accused, they said.