ED Grills Former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda Over Alleged Money Laundering In Manesar Land Acquisition Case

Former Haryana chief minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda faced questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on 17 January in connection with an ongoing money laundering investigation.

The probe is focused on suspected irregularities in land acquisition at Manesar during the period of 2004-07.

As reported by NDTV, the 76-year-old leader's statement was recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA),

The investigation revolves around the alleged illegal acquisition of land in Haryana's Manesar, with accusations of collusion involving senior government officials and bureaucrats.

The ED had initiated the case based on a Haryana Police first information report (FIR) in September 2016, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is also concurrently investigating the matter.

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As reported by Swarajya, in the FIR, it was alleged that the Haryana government had issued a notification on 25 August 2005 for acquisition of land measuring about 912 acres for setting up an industrial model township in Manesar, Naurangpur and Lakhnoula villages in Gurgaon district bordering the national capital.

Investigation revealed that builders and private entities bought land from the farmers and landholders on meagre prices by playing up fears of acquisition.

Several farmers and landowners also claimed that they were deceived of approximately Rs 1,500 crore in this land acquisition episode.

Subsequently, the ED had filed a PMLA case in September 2016, following a Haryana Police FIR.

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