HC notice on Moti Lal Vora’s plea

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, May 10

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today put the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on notice on petitions filed by Congress leader Moti Lal Vora and publisher of National Herald newspaper Associated Journals Limited (AJL).

The petitioners were seeking the quashing of enforcement case investigation report (ECIR) registered by the ED. The 86-year-old Congress veteran, Vora was recently questioned by ED along with former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. All India Congress Committee (AICC) treasurer Vora is the chairman of AJL. In his plea before the High Court, Vora alleged harassment by the agency while seeking directions against the use coercive methods in the case. Directions were also sought “to stop the ongoing ED investigation forthwith”.

Taking up the pleas, the Bench of Chief Justice Shiavax Jal Vazifdar and Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal also fixed May 23 as the next date of hearing on the petitions.

As the case came up for hearing, a battery of lawyers, comprising senior advocate Kapil Sibal, RS Cheema, Tarannum Cheema, Adit P. Subramanian and Arshdeep Singh Cheema appeared for the petitioners.

During the course of hearing, senior panel counsel for ED Ranjana Shahi accepted notice on behalf of the respondents. Taking up the matter, the Bench also asked ED to file its reply as to why use of coercive method including, Vora’s arrest, should not be stayed in this case. The Bench, however, turned down the request for immediate stay on Vora’s arrest in this case.

The ECIR registered on July 15, 2016, by the ED’s Chandigarh office in relation to the controversy. Subsequently, in October 2016, the agency issued notice to Vora regarding investigation of the case.

In April this year, ED had questioned Vora and Hooda regarding the case. The CBI had also registered a case on April 6 against Hooda, the ex-officio chairman of the HUDA and others. Matter is still under investigation.

The controversy revolves around institutional plot number C-17 in Sector 6, Panchkula. Allotted by HUDA to AJL in 1982, it was taken back in 1992 as construction was not carried out in 10 years. The appeal and revision filed by AJL against resumption of plot were also dismissed by HUDA administrator and Haryana’s financial commissioner (town and country planning) in 1995 and 1996. However, when Hooda become the Chief Minister in 2005, he allowed re-allotment of the plot to AJL.

After Manohar Lal Khattar came into power in October, 2014, an FIR was registered by the state vigilance bureau into alleged irregularities in the allotment “causing huge financial loss to HUDA”.