CBI books key Hooda aide ML Tayal in assets case
: The CBI has registered a disproportionate assets case against Murari Lal Tayal, who held the high-profile post of principal secretary to former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for over four years — March 2005-October 2009.
The probe agency has booked the 1976-batch IAS officer along with his wife Savita Tayal, son Kartik Tayal and daughter Malvika Tayal under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The probe agency FIR also names a private firm Kappac Pharma Limited.
According to the CBI, Tayal was “very close to Hooda” and played important role in various administrative decisions including “release of land” in Manesar which was being acquired by Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Corporation through industries department for “a public purpose.”
Tayal was appointed as member in Competition Commission of India in November 2009 for five years by the then Congress government after his retirement.
Tayal’s wife Savita retired in 2012 as principal from a government college in Panchkula. Thereafter, the then Hooda government appointed her as member of Haryana Public Service Commission from where she retired in June 2016.
According to the CBI FIR, the “suspected offence” of Tayal, who superannuated in October 2009, is that his Rs 10-crore assets were disproportionate to the known sources of income.
The CBI, which calculated the assets of the accused from January 2006 to December 2014, registered the case on Monday.
“...on examining the material available, there appears sufficient ground to order an investigation in the said offence alleged to have been committed by Murari Lal Tayal and others,” reads the order signed by Ram Gopal, IPS, and head of CBI’s Chandigarh branch.
After coming to power in October 2014, the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government has been turning the heat on Hooda over land deals across the state.
At the core of most of the cases being investigated by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate are the Mansear ‘land deals’. Some other Haryana IAS officers are also on CBI radar.
The disproportionate assets case against Tayal and others is the fallout of an FIR registered against unknown public servants of Haryana government in August 2015 at Police Station Manesar, Gurgaon, that was transferred to the CBI by the Khattar government.
“Accordingly, a case …(Manesar land scam case) was registered in CBI Chandigarh branch,” say CBI records.
“The scrutiny of documents recovered disclosed that Tayal acquired huge assets…by corrupt and illegal means and by misusing his official position during the period January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2014,” says the CBI report, which is the base for booking Tayal.
FIR ALSO NAMES TAYAL’S WIFE SAVITA, SON KARTIK, DAUGHTER MALVIKA; TAYAL’S RS 10CR ASSETS WERE DISPROPORTIONATE TO HIS KNOWN SOURCES OF INCOME, SAYS CBI