Haryana governor Satyadev Narayan Arya on Thursday gave sanction to prosecute former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) case.
A petition was filed by Congress leader and chairman of AJL, Motilal Vora, seeking the enforcement case investigation report (ECIR) registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to be quashed. To this, ED responded by telling the Punjab and Haryana High Court that Hooda illegally re-allotted a plot in Panchkula to the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) in 2005 which is a gross violation of the existing policy and legal position.
ED told the court,”The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), the Financial Commissioner of the Town and Country Planning Department (FCTCP) had advised not to re-allotment the plot, but Hooda “in order to show favour to the petitioner” bypassed the recommendation”.
The plot was initially allotted to AJL in 1982. The lease expired in 1996 after which the Haryana Vikas Party government led by Bansi Lal took back its possession. It was reallotted to AJL when the Congress came to power in 2005, with Hooda as the CM.