Supreme Court Issues Notice On CBI Challenge To HC's Clean Chit To Bhupinder Hooda & AJL In Panchkula Land Allotment Case

The Supreme Court yesterday (May 4) issued notice in the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) plea challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court's recent order giving a clean chit to the former Chief Minister of Haryana, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and the Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which publishes the Congress newspaper National Herald, for alleged allotment of land in Panchkula to AJL.Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju appeared for the CBI before a bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma. The bench issued notice, returnable July.By an order dated February 25, Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya of the High Court held that the re-allotment of land is valid and it has neither been declared illegal nor has it been cancelled. It said that the CBI took it upon itself to term the re-allotment illegal and questioned how an investigating agency could do so. Brief factsThe CBI has alleged that AJL was allotted a plot in Panchkula in 1982 on the basis of 'No Profit No Loss' by Haryana Urban Development Authority ('HUDA'). However, since no construction took place there for 10 years, HUDA took back possession of the plot.Further, it has been claimed that in the year 2005, a recommendation was made by Hooda (then CM of Haryana) that the same plot be restored to AJL at the original price, along with interest due up to the date of restoration of allotment.It was argued that after a recommendation in favour of AJL, the same was placed before the meeting of the HUDA Authority, which had raised certain reservations that the plot may be re-allotted either on the market price or by way of advertising and allowing AJL to participate in the same.However, when the meeting took place, the officials did not place any such objection regarding restoration of the plot to the AJL and its request for restoration of the allotment of institution plot was approved by the 'Authority' without there being any objection raised by any of the member.CBI concluded that the accused persons, Hooda, Sh. Moti Lal Vohra (since deceased) and the AJL, in conspiracy with each other, have misused the official position in re-allotment of the plot and thereby caused wrongful loss to the State exchequer and wrongful gain to the respondents.In April 2021, the special court framed charges against the accused under Sections 120-B (party to criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the IPC and Section 13 (2) r/w S. 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.Case Details: CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION v BHUPINDER SINGH HOODA AND ANR.|SLP(Crl) No.7634-7635/2026Click Here To Read OrderAppearances: For Petitioner(s) :Mr. Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General Mr. Suryaprakash V. Raju, A.S.G. Mr. Mukesh Kumar Maroria, AOR Mr. Zoheb Hossain, Adv. Mr. Annam Venkatesh, Adv. Ms. Sairica S Raju, Adv. Ms. Astha Singh, Adv. Mr. Aman Mehta, Adv

Supreme Court Issues Notice On CBI Challenge To HC's Clean Chit To Bhupinder Hooda & AJL In Panchkula Land Allotment Case

Gursimran Kaur Bakshi

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Supreme Court Issues Notice On CBI Challenge To HC's Clean Chit To Bhupinder Hooda & AJL In Panchkula Land Allotment Case

Gursimran Kaur Bakshi

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