AJL case: Hooda reiterates he was victim of 'political vendetta'

Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda Thursday reiterated that he was a victim of political vendetta and has done no wrong in the case involving allotment of a plot of land to Associated Journals Limited, which owns English daily National Herald.

Hooda made the remarks on media persons' query on reports that Haryana Governor Satyadev Narayan Arya last week gave sanction to prosecute him in the AJL case.

I have been maintaining that I am a victim of political vendetta, Hooda told reporters on the sidelines of a Congress workers' meeting.

The former chief minister maintained that he has done no wrong.

I have been saying this earlier too that political vendetta was being unleashed against me. This case was part of that vendetta and witch-hunt. Nothing wrong has been done during my tenure (as CM) and in this case too, the rules were followed, he said.

The case of cheating, corruption and criminal conspiracy, registered by the Haryana Vigilance Bureau against Hooda and AJL for alleged irregularities in allotment of a plot of land in Panchkula to the firm had been taken over by the CBI last year.

Registered against former CM Hooda in his ex-officio capacity as Haryana Urban Development Authority chairman, the FIR also named HUDA's former chief administrator and JAL amongst others.

The Haryana government's complaint, on the basis of which the case was registered, had alleged that AJL was allotted a plot in Panchkula in 1982 on which no construction took place till 1992. It prompted HUDA to cancel the allotment of the plot and resume it.

The CBI FIR, quoting the Haryana government's complaint, said the AJL filed an appeal against the HUDA's decision before HUDA administrator, who dismissed the appeal on July 26, 1995.

AJL subsequently challenged the HUDA administrator's decision before the Haryana's Town and Country Planning Commissioner who too set aside the appeal, the CBI FIR said.

The FIR further alleged that abusing his official position as HUDA chairman and contravening HUDA's policies, the then Chief Minister Hooda went against the advise rendered to him by the officials and ordered re-allotment of the plot to AJL at original rates plus interest on August 28, 2005.

The investigation carried out by the Haryana police after the BJP government came to power concluded that allotment was made in an "arbitrary manner" and in complete violation of the HUDA Act and against the advise of the officials due to which a wrongful loss was caused to the exchequer.

The state government had referred the matter to the CBI because of the alleged involvement of persons in "high places" and the company having offices in number of states which would be beyond the working of the State Vigilance Bureau.