Notice to Hooda, Vora and AJL

PANCHKULA: The special court of Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Panchkula on Thursday issued a notice to former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, senior Congress leader Moti Lal Vora and Associated Journals Limited (AJL), publisher of the National Herald newspaper, for appearance on October 30, in a money laundering case.

On August 26, the ED had filed prosecution complaint (chargesheet) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), in the court of special CBI judge Jagdeep Singh, which is also the special court for ED.

The federal agency mandated to probe financial crimes had said that AJL, Moti Lal Vora and Bhupinder Singh Hooda were directly involved in the process of acquisition of Plot NO.C-17, Sector 6, Panchkula. The ED had earlier attached the property. The money laundering probe was based on allegations that the property was allotted to AJL in the year 1982 but was taken back by the Estate Officer, Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) a decade later, October 30, 1992 since AJL did not comply with the conditions of allotment.

“Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the then CM, Haryana/chairman 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 vide order dated August 28, 2005.

He also did not adhere with 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 Ed had said.