Manesar land scam: Hooda skips CBI court

Citing medical reasons, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda failed to turn up in the local CBI court in connection with the ₹1,500 crore Manesar land scam, hearing of which commenced on Thursday.

Hooda’s counsel SPS Parmar moved plea for personal exemption on medical grounds, claiming Hooda was admitted in All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), New Delhi, due to diabetes and other medical issues.

Parmar told media that court had accepted his plea. The date of next hearing is May 1, when Hooda may appear. Meanwhile, Hooda’s former principal secretaries Murari Lal Tayal and Chattar Singh and former director of town and country planning department SS Dhillon, all co-accused in the scam, were granted bail following their appearance.

Gaurav Chaudhry, son of sitting Punjab and Haryana high court judge whose anticipatory bail was dismissed four days ago, did not appear as he sought medical exemption.

A few builders, named as beneficiaries of the scam, were also given bail. Their names are not immediately known.

The alleged ₹1,500-crore scam pertains to misuse of the Land Acquisition Act. CBI has charged Hooda, his aides and realty firms with criminal conspiracy and fraud.

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) government under Om Prakash Chautala had announced that 912 acres of land would be acquired for facilities in the Industrial Model Township (IMT), Manesar, in August 2004, just before the Congress came to power in Haryana under Hooda.

However during Hooda’s government , several farmers hastily sold 350 acres at throwaway prices of ₹20-25 lakh per acre, fearing poor compensation.

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