ED questions Vora, Hooda

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has questioned senior Congress leader Motilal Vora and former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda in connection with its money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in the allotment of a plot to AJL, publisher of National Herald newspaper, in Panchkula in 2005.

Bhupinder Singh Hooda, ex-CM, Haryana

New Delhi, April 20

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has questioned senior Congress leader Motilal Vora and former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda in connection with its money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in the allotment of a plot to AJL, publisher of National Herald newspaper, in Panchkula in 2005.

Officials said while AICC treasurer Vora (88) was questioned two days back at his residence here, Hooda was also questioned during the same time in Chandigarh.

The central agency has recorded the statements of the two Congress leaders under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) .

They were also confronted with some documents seized in this case, officials added.

Vora was questioned in the case in his capacity as the Chairman and Managing Director of Associated Journal Limited (AJL), they added.

The ED questioned Vora at his residence making a special concession in this regard owing to his old age and his request to be grilled at home.

The agency early last year had filed a criminal complaint and booked Hooda, AJL officials and others on charges of alleged money laundering, taking cognizance of a Haryana State Vigilance Bureau FIR.

The vigilance Bureau had registered a case of cheating and corruption against Hooda and four officials who were in HUDA for allegedly re-allotting a plot to AJL in Panchkula in 2005.The vigilance case was made against Hooda, the then HUDA chairman, an ex-officio post held by him as the CM, and four other top officials of HUDA on May 5 this year.

The plot had been initially allotted to AJL in 1982.

After the expiry of the lease period in 1996, then Haryana Vikas Party government led by Bansi Lal took back its possession. It was re-allotted to AJL after the Hooda-led Congress government 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 allotted again to AJL. — PTI