Panchkula (Haryana), Aug 22 (IANS): The CBI will file its reply in the Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) land allotment case involving Haryana's two-time Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda, senior Congress leader Motilal Vora and others on September 18.
After over five hours of arguments, which were concluded in a special court here, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said it would file its reply by in connection with both the AJL and Manesar land scam cases.
Hooda, who was present in the court, has sought setting aside the charge sheet framed against him.
The CBI, on December 1, 2018, filed a charge sheet against Hooda and others in the case related to the re-allotment of a plot in Panchkula to AJL, the publisher of the National Herald newspaper.
The CBI, in its charge sheet, alleged that Hooda, in conspiracy with Vora, had abused official position and dishonestly re-allotted the institutional plot to AJL at old rates, causing wrongful gain of approximately Rs 67.65 lakh to the private company and corresponding wrongful loss to the government exchequer.
The charge sheet, filed before a Special CBI Judge in a Panchkula court, named Hooda, the company AJL, its chairman Vora and 33 others as accused in the case.
The agency has formally charged the accused under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act for committing criminal misconduct and obtaining pecuniary advantages.
A case was registered on April 5, 2017, on the request of the Haryana government, by the CBI which has also taken over the investigation of first information report dated May 5, 2016, earlier probed by the state Vigilance Bureau.
In the Manesar land allotment case, a money laundering case registered against Hooda and others on September 9, 2016, on the basis of the CBI case for alleged financial irregularities in the acquisition of land.
The land was allegedly purchased showing the threat of acquisition by the state government during August 27, 2004, to August 24, 2007.
All the land was later grabbed from the land owners by private builders at meagre rates, the CBI had said after registration of the case.