Crooked Land Deals As Chief Minister? Hooda Misses 2 Chances To Explain

New Delhi: For the second time this week, Bhupinder Singh Hooda was a no-show at a hearing on how and why his government sold land in Haryana to companies including one owned by Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress boss Sonia Gandhi.

Mr Hooda, who belongs to Mrs Gandhi's party, was Chief Minister when the land deals were transacted.

He was summoned first on Monday, and then today, after he sought more time, to answer questions by former judge SN Dhingra who is investigating more than 150 land deals shortlisted for scrutiny by the BJP government which replaced the Congress in 2014.

In several of the deals, including the one involving Mr Vadra, guidelines were changed to allow the land to be used for commercial projects. That meant that the plots, acquired relatively cheaply, were suddenly high-value and brought windfall gain for the owners.

Mr Hooda's lawyers say they need time to review documents before the 68-year-old politician is examined.

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In 2008, Mr Vadra's Sky Light Hospitality bought three acres in Gurgaon for seven crores and then sold the property to real estate major DLF just months later for 58 crores. Senior bureaucrat Ashok Khemka cancelled the deal in 2012, alleging Mr Vadra had been given disproportionate benefits by the government in pricing and in permission to develop the land commercially, but was over-ruled by Mr Hooda's government.

Mr Hooda and the Gandhis have said the inquiry ordered by the BJP government is a political witch-hunt, a charge denied by the ruling party. Last year, the state auditor said in its report that the deal for Mr Vadra appeared irregular.

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