Chandigarh, Nearly five years after registering an FIR against former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in connection with an alleged land acquisition scam, the Haryana Police on Wednesday filed an affidavit before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, stating that revenue officials had “no Violation not found of rules/regulations in transfer of land to DLF by Robert Vadra’s Sky Light Hospitality.
The HC bench of Justices Augustine George Masih and Harpreet Singh Brar was hearing a suo moto case relating to pending cases against MPs and MLAs (present or former) from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. The affidavit – which ThePrint has seen – contains the status of these various cases, including one related to former CM Om Prakash Chautala in connection with alleged irregularities and malpractices in recruitment.
However, the affidavit is not a ‘clean chit’ for Hooda. On September 1, 2018, an FIR was lodged in Gurugram in connection with a land deal of Vadra, son-in-law of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. still exists. Police had booked Hooda for offenses including cheating, dishonestly delivering property and forgery, among others.
A senior police officer, on the condition of anonymity, told ThePrint that the investigation into the matter is not over yet.
Speaking to ThePrint on Thursday, Hooda declined to comment on the affidavit as the matter is sub-judice, but said: “I have always said that I have full faith in the country’s judicial system.”
Fur
In less than a month from the filing of the affidavit, the Haryana government had constituted a new Special Investigation Team (SIT) on March 22, 2023, comprising a Deputy Commissioner of Police, two Assistant Commissioners of Police, an Inspector and a Deputy Deputy Inspectors were involved. The Inspector was informed to investigate the matter further, to the High Court.
The affidavit by the Haryana Police – submitted by Dr Rajshree Singh, Inspector General of Police, Crime, Haryana and seen by ThePrint – is a complete U-turn from what was alleged in the FIR filed on September 1, 2018.
Affidavit filed in connection with ‘FIR No. 288’, dated September 1, 2018, under IPC sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), in a case relating to Hooda it was done. 471 (using as genuine a forged document) and 120B (punishment for criminal conspiracy) are registered at Kherki Daula police station in Gurugram.
The FIR said that Vadra’s company Sky Light Hospitality Pvt Ltd had bought 3.5 acres of land in Sector 83 Gurugram for Rs 7.50 crore from Omkareshwar Properties in 2008, when Hooda was the chief minister and also held the town and country planning department.
It states that Sky Light sold the land on September 18, 2012 to DLF Universal Ltd for Rs 58 crore after obtaining a commercial license to develop a colony under the influence of Bhupinder Singh Hooda – making a profit of around Rs 50. . crore in the deal, an allegation that Vadra had earlier dismissed.
As per the affidavit, however, “no rules/regulations have been violated in the said transaction.”
Ashok Khemka had red-flagged 3.5 acres of land during his tenure as Consolidation Director General. he had then Cancelled Mutation of land (part of the process of transferring ownership of a piece of land). Later, Khemka’s orders were overturned by a committee of three IAS officers constituted by the state government.
FIR He said that, to help DLF make up for its losses, the Hooda-led state government allotted 350 acres of land to the developer in Wazirabad, Gurugram, in violation of norms. It was alleged that in this “in return” DLF made Rs 5,000 crore.
However, the affidavit states: “As per the report received from the Tehsildar, Wazirabad, Gurugram, it was clearly stated that the land (350 acres) has not been found in the name of M/s DLF Universal Limited and the land is still in the affidavit The said HSVP/HSIIDC is present in the name of Haryana.
HSVP stands for Haryana Urban Development Authority, formerly known as ‘Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA)’, and HSIIDC stands for Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation.
It may also be recalled here that the Punjab and Haryana High Court in its order in September 2014 set aside the Haryana government’s decision to transfer 350 acres of land to DLF in 2010 and invited the state to participate in the international auction of the land. Ordered to auction. Bid within a month, said the report. This order was challenged by DLF in the Supreme Court where the apex court ordered status quo.
Read also: Haryana is in a hurry to make courts Hindi only. some things are getting lost in translation
affidavit
Taking the investigation ahead of the court hearing, the affidavit filed by the Haryana Police states that Satyanand Yaji, director of M/s Omkareshwar Properties Limited (now SGY Properties Limited), joined the investigation on April 3 and 6 this year.
“Kewal Singh Virk, a former director of Omkareshwar Properties, was also served notice to join the investigation on April 10 this year and DLF was also served notice seeking details of the relevant matter,” the affidavit said.
The affidavit states that the records relating to Sky Light Hospitality and Sky Light Realty were received from the Registrar of Companies (RoC) on November 5, 2022 and from the Tehsildar, Manesar, Gurugram on November 11, 2022.
On November 23, 2022, the District Town Planner, Gurugram also said that the relevant records have been made available to the police.
On December 12, 2022, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Kherki Daula Police Station again served a notice to ROC seeking additional information and records of Sky Light Hospitality and Sky Light Realty Pvt Ltd.
“The bank statements of Sky Light Hospitality and Sky Light Realty revealed that Rs 7,45,00000 and Rs 7,43,44,500 were transferred from the account of Sky Light Hospitality to the account of Omkareshwar Properties on 9.08.2008 and 16.08 . 2008, respectively (sic),” the affidavit stated.
In February 2008, when Omkareshwar sold 3.5 acres of land to Sky Light, in whose account the stamp duty was deposited, records showed that serial number 748, dated 28.01.2002 and ticket purchased for Rs 45 lakh, One was procured for Sky Light through DS Yadav. , added the affidavit.
“As per records received from DTCP (Director, Town and Country Planning), Omkareshwar Properties deposited an amount of Rs.7,413,000/- vide pay order dated 03.01.2008 as scrutiny charges. Omkareshwar Properties in favor of Sky Light Hospitality The license fee of about Rs 56,721,000 was adjusted on the request of DLF Retail Developers Limited (sic), which states that the (real estate development) license has not been transferred in favor of DLF Retail Developers Limited (sic), the affidavit said.
(Editing by Richa Mishra)