AJL land allotment case: CBI files chargesheet against ex-Haryana CM Bhupinder Hooda, Motilal Vora

New Delhi, Dec 1: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday filed a chargesheet against former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Congress leader Motilal Vora, in connection with the alleged illegal allotment of a plot to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the publisher of National Herald Newspaper.

The case pertains to alleged irregularities in the re-allotment of an institutional plot in Panchkula, Haryana to the Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which is allegedly controlled by Congress leaders. Haryana Governor on November 15 gave sanction to prosecute former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Associated Journal Limited case.

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda

The central agency, which filed the chargesheet in a special court, has alleged that the reallotment of the plot, C-17, has caused a loss of Rs 67 lakh to the exchequer. The agency has charged the then Haryana chief minister Hooda, who was also the chairman of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), the then chairman of the AJL, Vora, and the company under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections related to criminal conspiracy and the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Congress leader Motilal Vora

In the chargesheet, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged that the AJL was allotted a plot of land in Panchkula in 1982, on which no construction took place till 1992. The HUDA had subsequently taken back the possession of the plot.

The Gandhi Family

The chargesheet alleged that the same plot was re-allotted to the AJL at its original rates in 2005 by allegedly violating the laid down norms by the then HUDA chairman, Hooda. The AJL is reportedly controlled by senior Congress leaders, including members of the Gandhi family. The group runs the National Herald newspaper.

This case pertains to Hooda's alleged role for misusing his position as then Chief Minister of Haryana to cause wrongful gains to the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and corresponding loss to the Government of Haryana, by illegally allotting a government plot of land worth several crores rupees (billions) to AJL for INR 59 lakh (5.9 million).

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy

Also, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, in a private criminal complaint, had accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by paying just Rs 50 lakh, through which the Young Indian (YI) Private Limited obtained the right to recover the Rs 90.25 crore the Associate Journals Limited owed to the Congress. The recording of Swamy's statement as a complainant-witness in the case was concluded recently. Vora had earlier told the court that Swamy was indulging in "character assassination" of the accused by tweeting.

OneIndia News with PTI inputs