The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday conducted raids at the residential premises of former Haryana Chief Minister BS Hooda here and in Rohtak in connection with a land deal case.
The probe agency has also registered a new case against Hooda and others over alleged irregularities in land allotment between 2004 and 2007 when he was the chief minister of the state.
The CBI is also conducting searches at more than 30 places in Delhi-NCR region in connection with the alleged land scam case.
In September last year, the Haryana Police had booked businessman Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, and Hooda in connection with alleged irregularities in some land deals in Gurgaon.
In February, Hooda and 33 others were chargesheeted by the CBI in another case of corruption related to land deals in Manesar, Naurangpur and Lakhnoula villages of Gurgaon. The chargesheet had alleged a scam totalling Rs 1,500 crore.
According to the new FIR, Vadra’s company Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd purchased 3.5 acres in Sector 83 of Gurgaon from Onkareshwar Properties for Rs 7.50 crore in 2008, when Hooda was the CM who also held the portfolio of the town and county planning.
It was alleged that Skylight Hospitality later sold this land to realty major DLF for Rs 58 crore after procuring a commercial licence for development of the colony “with the influence of Hooda”.
The CBI had registered a case in September 2015 on allegations that private builders in conspiracy with unknown public servants of the Haryana government had purchased around 400 acres of land from farmers and landowners of village Manesar, Naurangpur and Gurgaon at throwaway prices.
The land was allegedly purchased showing the threat of acquisition by the government, during the period August 27, 2004, to August 24, 2007.
On May 14, 2015, the Haryana government led by Manohar Lal Khattar set up a one-man commission to probe the grant of licences by the Department of Town and Country Planning to develop housing and commercial colonies in Gurgaon’s Sector 83.
This included the alleged deals between Skylight Hospitality and DLF.