Former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Officials of Associated Journal Limited (AJL), publisher of National Herald newspaper and some others has been booked by the Enforcement Directorate(ED) on the charge of money laundering.
According to officials, the central probe agency registered a criminal case under the provision of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act(PMLA) after taking the consideration of Haryana State Vigilance Bureau FIR of May 2016.
The vigilance Bureau of Haryana had registered a case against Hooda and four officials who were in HUDA for allegedly re-alloting a plot to AJL in Panchkula in 2005 under the charge of cheating and corruption.
Former CM Hooda said that there was no wrong doing and this is only for political vendetta.
The plot initially had been alloted to AJL in 1982.
After the expiry of the lease period in 1996, then Bansi Lal government took back its possession from AJL. The plot was re-allotted to AJL after the Congress leader came to power in 2005.
The vigilance case was registered under various IPC sections. In this case, various section of IPC are as: criminal breach of trust by a public servant, cheating, criminal conspiracy and under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The case was registered against Hooda, then chairman of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), an ex-officio post held by him as the CM, and four other top officials of HUDA on 5th May 2016.
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.
Leader of the Opposition Abhay Chautala had said that a plot of 3,360 square metres in the prime location of Sector 6 in Panchkula was reallotted to AJL on 29th June 2005.
Congress was voted to power in 2005, Hooda initiated the process of restoring the plot to AJL on a representation made on its behalf by one of the trustees, Chautala had claimed.
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