Chandigarh/New Delhi: Former Haryana Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda is being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at its headquarters in Delhi on Monday in connection with a money laundering case in regard to alleged irregularities in land acquisition at Manesar during 2004-2007, official sources said.
This is for the second time in the last 12 days that Hooda is being interrogated in this case. Hooda's statements were recorded by the investigating agency under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The 76-year-old Congress leader has been accused of conniving with bureaucrats and government functionaries in the land deal case. Many land owners and farmers had alleged of being cheated to the tune of Rs 1500 crore in the land deal case. On the basis of an FIR lodged by Haryana Police, a PMLA case was registered against Hooda by ED in February 2021.
Hooda has been accused of giving benefits to private builders in Manesar near Gurgaon. During his tenure, about 900 acres of land was allegedly acquired and sold off to builders at low prices. However, ED has not given any official statement in this regard till now.
Earlier on January 17, ED had interrogated Hooda for about seven hours. It was learnt that many questions were left unanswered during the previous interrogation following which, Hooda is being questioned again.
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