The Haryana government has approved prosecution of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and three former officials in connection with the 2013 allotment of industrial plots in Panchkula. The case is related to alleged irregularities in the distribution of 14 industrial plots.
Officials said the sanction was granted after the Central Bureau of Investigation requested permission earlier this year. The agency had investigated the matter for nearly nine years before seeking approval to file charges.
Along with Hooda, sanction has been given against former Haryana Urban Development Authority officials Subhash Chandra Kansal and Bharat Bhushan Taneja. The case of former IAS officer Dharam Pal Singh Nagal has reportedly been sent to the central government because separate approval is needed under anti-corruption laws for IAS officers.
With this approval, the CBI is expected to file a chargesheet in a trial court in Panchkula. This will allow the legal process to move forward after a long investigation.
When asked for a response, Hooda said he has full faith in the judiciary.
The case has drawn attention because it involves decisions taken during Hooda’s tenure as chief minister and chairman of the then Haryana Urban Development Authority, commonly known as HUDA. Investigators allege that rules were changed and plots were given to ineligible people at rates lower than market prices.
According to the investigation, applications for industrial plots in Panchkula were invited between December 7, 2011 and January 6, 2012. These plots were in Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the industrial area.
The CBI claims that after the deadline for applications ended, the allotment criteria were changed on January 24, 2012. Investigators allege this was done improperly and after the official closing date.
The agency says the changes helped certain applicants who were otherwise not eligible. It also alleged that the plots were allotted in a wrongful manner and not according to the original norms.
Officials claim the then authorities should have corrected the irregularities, but instead the plots were distributed in collusion with beneficiaries. The plots were allegedly given at prices lower than prevailing market rates, causing possible loss to the public exchequer.
The CBI registered a regular case in May 2016 after taking over an FIR first filed by the Haryana State Vigilance Bureau in December 2015.
The case included charges under criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, destruction of evidence, criminal breach of trust, and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Thirteen alleged beneficiaries of the plots were also named in the original case along with unknown persons.
The matter has remained under investigation for years, making it one of the long-running legal cases linked to land and allotment decisions in Haryana.
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Now that sanction has been granted, the CBI can formally submit its chargesheet before the Panchkula court. Once filed, the court will examine the report and decide the next legal steps.
The case is also linked to a money laundering matter being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate. In February 2021, the ED filed a prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Hooda and others.
However, in May 2024, a special PMLA court paused proceedings in the money laundering case until the CBI completed its investigation in the main criminal case. The court had observed that the money laundering proceedings depended on the outcome of the predicate offence, or original criminal case.
With the CBI now preparing to file its chargesheet, the money laundering case may also move forward again.
Political reactions are expected as the case involves a senior Congress leader and former chief minister. Supporters of Hooda may describe the case as politically motivated, while opponents may say the legal process should continue independently.
For the public, the case raises broader questions about transparency in land allotments, use of public assets, and accountability of officials. Industrial plots are valuable government resources, and any irregularity in their distribution can become a serious legal and political issue.
The timeline of the case stretches back more than a decade. Applications were invited in 2011, alleged changes happened in 2012, plots were allotted in 2013, the vigilance FIR came in 2015, the CBI case in 2016, ED action in 2021, and prosecution approval in 2026.
Such long delays often create frustration among citizens who expect faster outcomes in corruption-related cases. Still, the latest sanction marks a major step because it clears the path for formal trial proceedings.
As the matter enters court again, attention will now shift to the evidence presented by investigators and the defence put forward by the accused. The final decision will depend on judicial examination of records, witness testimony, and legal arguments.
For now, Haryana’s approval to prosecute has revived one of the state’s most discussed allotment controversies and set the stage for the next phase of courtroom proceedings.
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