ED quizzes former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda in land allotment case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday quizzed former Haryana chief minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda in connection with an alleged money laundering case pertaining to the Manesar land scam case.

Hooda is being questioned in connection with the Manesar land scam case at the Chandigarh zone office, sources said.

Earlier this year, the CBI had filed a case against Hooda in connection with alleged irregularities in the acquisition of land in Haryana when he was the chief minister of the state.

According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Hooda allegedly misused his official position and allotted a plot in the guise of re-allotment at an under-valued price to the Associated Journals Limited (AJL), a group that runs the National Herald newspaper.

The agency claimed that the value of the plot was Rs 64.93 crore but Hooda gave it away for Rs 59 lakh. In May this year, the ED had attached the plot under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

In December 2018, the agency had filed a chargesheet against Hooda and Congress leader Motilal Vora for alleged fraudulent allotment of the land to the AJL in Panchkula in 2005.