ED books Hooda in money laundering case

PANCHKULA: The Enforcement Directorate has booked former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, officials of the Associated Journal Limited (AJL), publisher of the National Herald newspaper, and others on charges of alleged money laundering.

The central probe agency registered a criminal case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after taking cognisance of a state vigilance bureau FIR filed in May this year. Sources in the vigilance bureau confirmed that few days ago, ED had sought the FIR from them for registration of the case.

The vigilance bureau had registered a case of cheating and corruption against Hooda, then Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) chairman, an ex-officio post held by him as the CM, and other officials for allegedly re-alloting a plot to AJL in Panchkula in 2005 at old rate. The loss to exchequer was reportedly around `62 lakh. The three other officers booked are then chief administrator, HUDA, SS Dhillon; then principal secretary, town and country planning (TCP), Shakuntla Jakhu, and then administrator, HUDA (HQ), Vineet Garg.

Officials said summons will soon be issued to the accused named in the FIR. Hooda termed the action as “political vendetta” and said there was no wrong doing.

The AJL was allotted 3,500 sq mt institutional plot in sector 6, Panchkula, in 1982. After the expiry of the lease period in 1996, then Haryana Vikas Party goverment led by Bansi Lal took back its possession. It was re-allotted to AJL after the Congress leader came to power in 2005.

The vigilance bureau had alleged that the act by the then HUDA chairman and the officials had caused a huge financial loss to HUDA as the plot should have been sold through open auction instead of being alloted again to AJL.

A separate FIR had been lodged in December last year by the state vigilance bureau against Hooda as the then chairman and chief administrator of HUDA for alleged irregularities in allotment of industrial plots in Panchkula three years ago.

Hooda had then said that no rules had been violated in the allotment. Opposition parties in Haryana had sought registration of a criminal case in the matter for alleged illegal re-allotment of land in Panchkula from the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government.

Highly placed sources in the vigilance bureau said the case against Hooda has inter-state ramifications as National Herald has offices in Delhi and Mumbai and other places also that is why it has been recommended for CBI probe. Though, the state government is yet to take any decision on it. If the case is transferred to CBI, it will be the second case of the agency against Hooda. The agency is also pursuing the alleged illegal allotment of industrial plots in Industrial Area of Panchkula to 14 people at throwaway prices. Recently, it carried out raids also at the residences of beneficiaries. WITH AGENCY INPUTS