The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday issued a provisional attachment order for the plot in Panchkula, Haryana which was allotted to the Associated Journals Limited, AJL by then Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
According to the reports, the Associated Journals Limited is controlled by senior Congress leaders, including members of the Gandhi family. The group runs the National Herald newspaper.
The ED probe had found that Bhupinder Singh Hooda misused his official position by dishonestly and fraudulently allotting the plot in the guise of re-allotment to the AJL at an under-valued price than the actual market rate.
According to the ED’s statement, the plot has been attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) act.
The CBI charge sheet, which was filed in a Panchkula court on December 1, named Congress leader Motilal Vora apart from Hooda in connection with the alleged irregularities in the case.
The ED had questioned the two senior Congress leaders in this case.
According to the central probe agency, the value of the land was Rs 64.93 crore while it was allotted by Hooda for 69.39 lakh.
The CBI has alleged that the re-allotment of the plot in Sector-6 of Panchkula has caused a loss to the exchequer.
The ED had filed a PMLA complaint in this case in 2016 based on an FIR by the CBI, which had taken over investigations in this case at the request of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of Haryana and the criminal FIRs filed by the Haryana vigilance bureau.
