New Delhi: The ED has filed a prosecution complaint or charge-sheet against two veteran Congress party heavyweights – former Haryana Chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and former Madhya Pradesh CM Motilal Vora - in the Associate Journal Limited (AJL) money-laundering case.
Enforcement Directorate officials here said that both Hooda and Vora were directly involved in the process connected with the acquisition, possession or projection of the proceeds of crime; which is the plot of land in Panchkula, formerly owned by AJL, the parent company of National Herald.
Plot number C-17 in Panchkula's Sector 6, worth around Rs 64.9 crore was earlier attached by the financial probe agency as part of its investigation under provisions of the PMLA.
The ED said that its investigation in the case had revealed that Hooda had abused his position as the then CM of the state to "dishonestly allot the plot of land to AJL in the guise of re-allotment at the original rates which were practically throw-away prices at the time, even after it was taken away previously on ground of non-compliance with conditions of the allotment letter.
Moreover, the probe agency has said that Hooda allotted the land to AJL, ignoring the recommendations of several state organisations, including the Legal Remembrance and HUDA. The ED also alleged that Hooda had further favoured AJL by giving them undue extensions to construct on the plot until it was completed in 2014.