ED to take over AJL land in Panchkula after PMLA authority''s approval

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 29

Trouble for former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda appears to have compounded as the adjudicating authority under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in an order has ruled that the Congress leader as head of the government in the state “made unfair gains while allotting a plot in Panchkula to Associated Journals Limited”.

In an official release, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said, “Now the adjudicating authority PMLA, New Delhi, has held that the defendants have committed the schedule offence, generated proceeds of crime and further found that the properties attached are proceeds of crime beyond any doubt and thereby ordered for confirmation of the provisional attachments order.”

The ED had issued provisional attachment order against the said property in December last year.

Then, the ED had said, “The plot no. C-17, Sector 6, Panchkula was illegally allotted to Associated Journals Limited (AJL) by then Chief Minister of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda.”

This plot was initially allotted to AJL in 1982. But it was taken back by the Estate Officer, HUDA, through an order on October 30, 1992 as AJL did not comply with the conditions of allotment letter.

The resumption order attained finality after dismissal of the revision petition in 1996.

“However, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the then Haryana CM, blatantly misused his official position and dishonestly allotted the said plot afresh in the guise of re-allotment to the AJL at original rates plus interest in violation of necessary conditions…The then CM caused wrongful loss to HUDA and wrongful gain to AJL by ignoring legal opinion,” the ED said in its release.

It went on to add: “Bhupinder Singh Hooda did not stop here but further favoured AJL by illegally granting them three undue extensions for construction on plot from May 1, 2008 to May 10, 2012 until AJL completed the construction in 2014.”