Bhupinder Singh Hooda asks Haryana CM to make Dhingra Commission report public

Chandigarh: Haryana's former Chief Minister (CM) Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday demanded that the Manohar Lal Khattar government make the Justice SN Dhingra Commission report public, and accused it of indulging in "witch-hunt" and "sensationalising facts".

The one-man inquiry commission, which went into the controversial land deals in Haryana also allegedly involving Congress President Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra, had submitted its 182-page report to the state government yesterday and apparently found irregularities in the deals.

"I demand that the Government make the Dhingra Commission report public soon and stop this witch-hunt and sensationalising of facts," Hooda , who was the chief minister when the deals were signed, told reporters here today.

He said while the report was yet to be made public, its contents were being "selectively leaked to the media".

"I can comment on its contents only when the report is made public," the two-time former CM said.

Asked if he would move court, the Congress leader said, "Let them first make the report public, then we will see".

When asked about the commission having reportedly hinted at irregularities in the deals, Hooda said, "But that does not necessarily mean that there is an illegality".

Hooda hit out at the government for getting only a handful of land licences probed, including the one granted to Robert Vadra's firm.

Giving details of the licence granted to Vadra's firm Skylight Hospitality, Hooda said the firm was alloted 2.7 acres as per entitlement.

The firm purchased land on January 28, 2008 by paying Rs 7.95 crore, including stamp duty, he said.

"The company also paid commercial colony charges of Rs 7.43 crore to the government. An amount of Rs 73 lakh was deposited for renewal of licence. Thus, total amount paid for purchase of land and statutory charges comes to Rs 16.11 crore."

"After a gap of five years, this piece of land was sold by Skylight to DLF for Rs 58 crore on September 18, 2012. Even on this amount, the company paid an additional tax of Rs 8 crore and thus they paid a total amount of Rs 24.11 crore which includes the Rs 16.11 crore against the receipt of sale price of Rs 58 crore," Hooda said.