The questioning of former Haryana Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a land scam continued for the second day on Friday.
Hooda, who is facing various cases lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Panchkula has already been charge-sheeted in Manesar land scam and AJL site re-allotment case. He had earlier termed the cases against him as part of a political vendetta adding no wrongdoing had taken place on his part. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra is also under the scanner of the probe agency.
Trouble seems to be mounting for the ex-CM as the ED had questioned him on Thursday and continued on Friday. Sources said that Hooda’s statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the case and he was confronted with documentary evidence by the probe agency during their investigation.
Sources in the ED had earlier said the agency was ascertaining details of the proceeds of the crime arising out of the CBI case and investigating the flow of funds to various people involved in the alleged scam.
CBI had registered the case in 2015 following allegations that private builders, in conspiracy with some State government officials, had bought about 400 acres in and around Manesar at throwaway prices, causing a loss of about Rs 1,500 crore to the owners. The CBI had filed a chargesheet under sections of the IPC related to criminal conspiracy and cheating, and relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Hooda and other accused.
In 2016, the ED had lodged the case under various sections of PMLA after taking cognizance of a corruption case filed by CBI into the matter. The investigation agency had found that Hooda, as the then State CM, misused his official position by dishonesty and fraudulently resulting in undue benefits to private builders and individuals.