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Will another former CM of Haryana go behind bars?

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Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Hooda, Chief Minister of Haryana, Haryana, Haryana Minister, haryana urban development authorityA former Chief Minister of Haryana, Om Prakash Chautala is already behind the bars in a JBT teachers recruitment scam for 10 years and then another is likely to face the consequences of a CBI charge sheet filed against him in a plot allotment case. It is pertinent to mention here that one more Ex-CM of Haryana and Former Defence Minister Chaudhary Bansi Lal was also arrested in August 1977 in his hometown of Bhiwani on charges of embezzlement of Haryana Youth Congress funds totalling about Rs 5 lakhs.

Will former Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, also meet the same fate in the latest charge sheet filed by CBI against Mr Hooda in a reallotment case of HUDA plot to his Party’s mouthpiece newspaper, National Herald, allegedly incurring a loss of Rs 67 lakh as charged by CBI?

A special CBI court on 22 January 2013, sentenced former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, his elder son Ajay Chautala and thirteen other officials to 10 years in jail for their involvement in illegally recruiting 3206 teachers in the state by using forged documents.

What the present issue is?

On December 01, CBI had filed a charge-sheet in the court of a special CBI judge Jagdeep Singh in Panchkula against Haryana’s Ex-CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Senior Congress leader Moti Lal Vora and Associated Journals Limited (AJL), a company associated with National Herald  newspaper, in a Panchkula plot allotment case under section 120 B and 420 of IPC and sections 13(1)(d) read with 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act.

Haryana governor Satyadev Narayan Arya had already given his approval for the prosecution of Hooda in the AJL matter a few days ago.

CBI has alleged that Hooda, the then Chief  Minister and Chairman of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), in 2005 re-allotted a previously cancelled  plot to AJL at the original rate, allegedly violating the norms laid down by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), which resulted in a loss of Rs 67 lakh to the government exchequer.

The plot in question firstly allotted to AJL company in 1982, but the company failed to complete the construction on the plot as per HUDA norms due to which the plot allotment was cancelled by HUDA in 1992 and the plot was later repossessed by the Haryana Urban Development Authority. Later on, in 1995, Administrator HUDA dismissed the appeal of AJL against the resumption of plot and the revision petition of the company was also dismissed by Commissioner, Town & Country Planning on October 10, 1996.

CBI has charged that in 2005, the then Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in the capacity of Chairman, Haryana Urban Development Authority had re-allotted the cancelled plot to AJL at the original rate plus interest, allegedly violating the norms laid down by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA).

Now as the CBI has booked former Chief Minister Hooda, the then chairman of the AJL, Moti Lal Vora, and the company under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the air of reactions has started to gain heat in the political and legal circles .

A previous case against Hooda

After the Manesar land case filed in Feb 2018, this is the second charge-sheet that the CBI has filed against Hooda. The Manesar case pertains to the alleged fraud committed by the Hooda government with the farmers pertaining to lands worth over Rs 1,500 crore in Manesar, Haryana. According to the charges levelled, the land was allegedly purchased between August 27, 2004, and August 24, 2007, using the threat of acquisition by the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government during his tenure as CM.

They say: it’s a political vendetta

Reacting over the present AJL plot allotment case, Hooda alleged that the BJP government in the state had nothing to show in their achievement card except indulge in political vendetta against him. A leading newspaper on Dec 01, 2018, quoted Hooda —

“My decision to restore the institutional plot to AJL at old rates was within my powers as the chairman of the HUDA. The AJL had paid up the entire amount for allotment of the plot but could not do construction on it. This led to its resumption,’’ Hooda said. He further said the plot was restored after charging an interest amounting to over Rs 55 lakhs on the allotment price of Rs two lakhs. “It was a well-reasoned order passed by me in the exercise of powers vested in me by the HUDA Act,’’ he claimed.

Randeep Singh Surjewala, Incharge Communication Indian National Congress, alleged that BJP and its leaders are using government machinery to harass the opposition leaders and suppressing their voice.

In a press conference on December 2, 2018,  he said, “These days  Modi Ji, Amit Shah and BJP are utilising the ED and Income Tax departments as Dirty Tricks Departments. By allotting plots to newspapers, including National Herald, Ex-CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and 90-year-old freedom fighter and veteran Congress leader Moti Lal Vora have done no dishonesty. Some other newspapers including Indian Express, Dainik Jagran and probably the Dainik Bhaskar have also been allotted lands. Issuing charge sheet to Congress leaders shows that BJP is working in a revengeful manner. Upsetting over the likely  defeat in five states and 2019 elections, PM Modi and Haryana CM Khattar are not only issuing unrestrained statements and using filthy language, but also trying to suppress the voice of opposition through misutilisation of police and government agencies.”

But on the other hand, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had denied the political vendetta  while replying to a question on CBI charge sheet against Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Manesar land deal case, quoted the scriptures saying, “As you sow so shall you reap.”

What does the common man say?

A retired bank officer, Bhagat Singh Saini, a resident of Hooda’s own city, Rohtak says, “If a person in power abuses the powers provided by the constitution and extends unlawful benefits to his nears and dears or himself, he should be held guilty and must be punished.”

Krishan Swarup Gorakhpuria, a veteran farmer leader from Fatehabad  comments, “Every act is related with electoral politics.”

Sunil Sheoran, an advocate from Bhiwani reacts, “I think what’s going on is due to this political system in India when the elections are near, all mechanisms are active whether that is CBI or any other cop. This is ridiculous and is happening  from the very beginning.”

Legal consequences

Legal experts comment that the proving or disproving the charges levelled in this case will mainly depend on the documents, their validity and authenticity, rules and regulations of HUDA and the extensive powers conferred by the constitution and bye-laws of HUDA on its Chairman.

However, if the charges get proved beyond doubts, the quantum of punishment may go up to an imprisonment of 10 years.

Under section 13(1) (d) of Prevention of Corruption Act (as mentioned in the charge sheet) alone, if the criminal misconduct by a public servant gets proved, then he is liable to punishment as under:

13(2): Any public servant, who commits criminal misconduct shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than four years, but which may extend to 10 years and shall be liable to fine.

– Jag Mohan Thaken


Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AFTERNOON VOICE and AFTERNOON VOICE does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

 

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