No infirmity in framing of charges order by trial court

In Dec 2020, the CBI court had ordered framing of charges against former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and 32 others

- HT Correspondent

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court has held that there was no infirmity in the December 1, 2020, order of CBI special court, Panchkula, whereby charges were framed against former bureaucrats and others in Manesar land deal case.

"...this court finds no infirmity, legal or procedural, in the impugned order passed by the learned Special Court. The impugned order has been rendered in accordance with settled legal principles and does not warrant interference," the bench of justice Manjari Nehru Kaul said in the detailed judgment released on May 15.

The pleas were from former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda's then principal secretaries, Murari Lal Tayal and Chhatar Singh; then director town and country planning department, Haryana, Sudeep Singh Dhillon, some builders among others. Hooda himself had not challenged the order.

It was in December 2020; the CBI special court had ordered framing of charges against former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and 32 others. It was this order which was under challenge before the high court. On December 14, 2020, the trial was stayed by the high court, acting on these petitions. There was also a second set of petitions from former IAS officer Rajeev Arora and four others, challenging trial court order. Those petitions were also dismissed and dealt with in a separate judgment also pronounced on May 15.