Industrial Plot Allotment Case: Charge Sheet Filed Against Former CM Hooda

May 1, 2026

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet in a special court against former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other accused individuals in connection with the Panchkula industrial plot allotment case.

The charges include criminal conspiracy and cheating, as well as sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The chargesheet alleges fraudulent misappropriation of funds and the acquisition of pecuniary benefits for oneself or others.

Along with the chargesheet, the CBI has also submitted to the court the Haryana government’s sanction to prosecute the case. Apart from Hooda, the chargesheet names B.B. Taneja, the former Deputy Superintendent of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HSVP). In this matter, the court has directed the concerned clerk to examine the documents and submit a report by June 4.

The CBI registered this case on May 19, 2016. According to the chargesheet, while serving as Chief Minister and simultaneously holding the position of Chairman of the HSVP, Bhupinder Singh Hooda invited applications for 14 industrial plots in Panchkula. In order to allot plots to his favored individuals, Hooda altered the rules ex post facto after the deadline for applications had already expired. These amendments lowered the criteria for experience and eligibility while increasing the weightage assigned to the oral interview.

According to the investigation, plots valued at ₹30.34 crore were allotted for a mere ₹7.85 crore. This resulted in a massive loss to the public exchequer. The CBI also informed the court that while the sanction to prosecute D.P.S. Nangal under Section 197 of the CrPC has been received, the sanction required under Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act is still awaited.

During the hearing of the case, a statement recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC by a witness Narendra Kumar Solanki was submitted to the court by the CBI in a sealed envelope; the court has issued orders to keep this document in safe custody.