Manesar land scam: SC sets aside Haryana Govt's decision

The Supreme Court on Monday set aside the Haryana Government's decision over Manesar land scam.

The Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government on August 24, 2007, decided to drop the land acquisition proceedings for over 600 acres of land in Manesar.

The apex court also directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate transactions, including unearthing unnatural gains received by 'middlemen' in Manesar land case.

On May 15, 2017; the CBI had questioned former Haryana chief minister Hooda over alleged financial irregularities in the acquisition of land in Gurugram's Manesar.

The case pertains to the alleged purchase of land from farmers in Gurgaon for Rs 100 crore when the actual worth (according to market rate) was Rs 1,500 crore. 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 state government".

Initially, the Government of Haryana had issued notifications under various sections of Land Acquisition Act for the acquisition of land measuring about 912 acres for setting up an Industrial Model Township. As a result of this, a large number of landowners, in haste, had allegedly sold their land at throwaway prices. It was further alleged that the land, about 400 acres, had been grabbed from the landowners by the private builders under the threat of acquisition at meagre rates.