The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday filed chargesheet against Associated Journal Limited (AJL), senior Congress leaders Moti Lal Vora and Bhupinder Singh Hooda in the designated court at Panchkula in connection with a money laundering case.
“AJL, Moti Lal Vora and Bhupinder Singh Hooda were directly involved in the process/activity connected with acquisition, possession or projection of “Proceeds of Crime” i.e. Plot No.C-17,Sector 6, Panchkula to the tune of Rs 64.9 crore,” the ED said in a statement.
The ED had attached the property located at Plot No. C-17, Sector 6, Panchkula. The Adjudicating Authority of PMLA, had subsequently ordered confirmation of the provisional attachments order.
The investigation under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was based on a case that the attached property was allotted to AJL in the year 1982, but the same was resumed back by the Estate Officer, Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) through an order on October 30, 1992 as the AJL did not comply with the conditions of allotment letter.
The Resumption Order attained finality after dismissal of the Revision Petition in 1996. However, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the then Chief Minister of Haryana and Chairman of HUDA, “blatantly misused his official position and dishonestly allotted the said plot afresh in the guise of re-allotment to the AJL at original rates plus interest in violation of necessary conditions/ policy of HUDA through an order on August 28, 2005, the ED said.
“Also, Hooda did not adhere to the legal opinion of Legal Remembrance, Haryana and recommendations of HUDA Officers and Financial Commissioner Town and Country Planning (FCTCP). Thus, the CM caused wrongful loss to HUDA and wrongful gain to AJL,” the agency said.
Hooda further favoured the AJL by granting them three undue extensions for construction in the said plot from May 1, 2008 to May 10, 2012 until the AJL completed the construction in the year 2014, it added.