Latest news with #Hooda-led
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
ED may chargesheet Robert Vadra soon
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is likely to file its final prosecution complaint (equivalent to chargesheet) in three money laundering cases allegedly involving businessman Robert Vadra within the next three months. Following these filings, the federal agency will push for court cognisance to kickstart trials against Vadra and co-accused, people in the know told ET. The ED's investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) will also lead to the confiscation of properties allegedly acquired with illicit funds in these cases. Vadra, also husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, in April this year was questioned in connection with a money laundering probe related to a land deal in Shikohpur, Haryana. Agency sources confirm his questioning in the Haryana land deal is complete. He has been summoned for questioning in a money laundering case linked to UK-based arms consultant Sanjay Bhandari and will soon face a final round of questioning in the Bikaner land deal case as well, people in the know told ET. Vadra has consistently denied the accusations, labelling them a political witch hunt and accusing the BJP of political vendetta. Live Events Haryana Land Deal The Haryana land deal case dates back to a 2018 FIR against then-Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Vadra, and real estate firms DLF and Onkareshwar Properties. It's alleged that in February 2008, Vadra's Skylight Hospitality, launched with ₹1 lakh capital, purchased 3.5 acres in Manesar-Shikohpur for ₹7.5 crore. The land's title was reportedly transferred to Vadra within 24 hours. A month later, the Hooda-led Haryana government allegedly permitted Skylight Hospitality to develop a housing project, significantly increasing the land's value. In June 2008, DLF reportedly agreed to buy the plot for ₹58 crore, allegedly resulting in substantial gains for Vadra. Bikaner Land Deal In the Bikaner land deal, Vadra is accused of making a 615% profit by purchasing 275 bighas for ₹72 lakh and selling it for a significantly higher amount. The ED questioned Vadra and his mother about this probe in 2019. An ET report from January 2020 indicated that the ED concluded Vadra and his company, M/s Skylight Hospitality, did not conduct proper due diligence in purchasing two land parcels in Bikaner, and cheques were issued to 'land owners' solely at the 'behest of' a company's representative. Sanjay Bhandari Link The third case is linked to alleged arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari. The ED's 2023 chargesheet claims Bhandari acquired a London property at 12 Bryanston Square in 2009 and renovated it "as per the directions of Robert Vadra, who provided the funds for the renovation." Vadra has denied any direct or indirect ownership of London property.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
High court dismisses plea against trial in Manesar land scam involving Hooda, others
Chandigarh: With the Punjab and on Thursday dismissing petitions filed against continuing of trial in the , decks have been cleared for resuming the trial against former Haryana chief minister and other accused. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The accused include some former bureaucrats such as S S Dhillon, Chhatar Singh, and M L Tayal, who served as principal secretaries to the then CM, as well as some builders. The trial against Hooda, bureaucrats, and builders came to a halt in Dec 2020 after some of the bureaucrats and builders approached HC. Hooda, however, did not approach HC but benefited from the stay on the trial. Justice Manjari Nehru Kaul passed these orders while dismissing a bunch of petitions filed by some bureaucrats and builders who were summoned for trial in the case. The order regarding the dismissal of the petitions was announced in the open court by the judge but a copy of the order was not available until the filing of this report. The CBI had sought vacation of the stay on trial. In Feb 2018, the CBI submitted a chargesheet against Hooda and 33 others, including three former Haryana bureaucrats who worked with him in CMO, real estate companies, and the officials of the department of town and country planning Haryana, in relation to a land acquisition scam causing a loss of around Rs 1,500 crore to farmers of Gurgaon district. The main allegations in the entire scam are that hundreds of acres of land acquired from farmers of Manesar and adjoining villages in Gurgaon district at a low rate for "public purpose" was later licensed to real estate companies/builders/colonizers after bestowing out-of-term favours and concessions. Later in 2020, the CBI judge also summoned some more bureaucrats. CBI filed FIR in 2015 On Sep 17, 2015, CBI registered an FIR in relation to the scam, according to which, the Hooda-led state govt issued a notification in 2004 under sections 4, 6, and 9 of the Land Acquisition Act for the acquisition of around 912 acres for setting up an Industrial Model Township (IMT) at Manesarand other places in Gurgaon. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now After that, around 400 acres of the said land was allegedly grabbed from landowners by private builders under the threat of acquisition at meagre rates. Later, an order was also passed by the director of industries on Aug 24, 2007, releasing this 400-acre land from the acquisition process in favour of the builders, their companies, and agents, instead of the original landowners. "In the said manner, land measuring about 400 acres, whose market value at that time was around Rs 4 crore per acre, totalling around Rs 1,600 crore, was allegedly purchased by private builders and others from landowners for only around Rs 100 crore," stated the FIR. The FIR said this caused an alleged loss of Rs 1,500 crore to landowners of three villages of Gurgaon district.
