Land deal: Hooda asked to appear before probe panel by March

Gurgaon, March 16: The Justice S N Dhingra Commission of Inquiry, set up in 2015 to probe grant of commercial licence of land to hundreds of private companies, including Skylight Hospitality and DLF, today issued summon to former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for joining the investigation.

The Commission has asked Hooda to appear before it within March 23 and record his statements regarding allotment of land to Skylight Hospitality, promoted by Congress President Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra and, other private companies.

Last month, the Commission had summoned Haryana Chief Secretary Deepinder Singh Dhesi and officials of the private firms for recording of statement. The commission has earlier examined retired IAS officer and member of Union Public Service Commission Chattar Singh, who was the principal secretary to in Hooda's CMO.

Singh handled files of the Town and Country Planning Department in the chief minister's office (CMO). After being set up by the BJP government in May 2015, the scope of the commission's inquiry was widened on Justice Dhingra's advice.

PTI