AJL CASE: TIMELINE

August 24, 1982: HUDA allots a plot (No. C-17) measuring 3,360 sq m, in the prime Sector 6 of Panchkula to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), publisher of newspaper National Herald October 30, 1992: HUDA takes the plot back as AJL fails to make use of the land July 26, 1995: Administrator, HUDA (Panchkula) rejects AJL’s appeals for re-allotment October 10, 1996: Financial commissioner, town and country planning, rejects AJL’s revision petition for re-allotment May 14, 2005: HUDA chairman (post held by chief minister Bhupiner Singh Hooda) writes to HUDA officials to explore possibilities to re-allot said

plot to AJL; legal remembrancer states it could not be done August 18, 2005: HUDA officials say fresh applications should be invited to allot the resumed plot for which AJL could apply August 28, 2005: Hooda orders plot’s allotment to AJL on old rates

November 1, 2012: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy moves a Delhi court, alleging that the Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YIL) which had Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi, besides some other party leaders, on its board of directors, were involved in cheating and breach of trust in the acquisition of AJL as its assets worth crores of rupees had been transferred to YIL. AJL was given a loan by Congress and had gone defunct. AJL had some Congress leaders as its directors May 2, 2016: INLD leader Abhay Chautala writes to Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar for registration of a criminal case against Hooda and others May 5: State Vigilance Bureau books Hooda and others for alleged irregularities and recommends to the state government to transfer the case to CBI July 22: Enforcement Directorate books Hooda, AJL and others on charges of alleged money laundering