CBI files chargesheet against Hooda and Motilal Vora

PANCHKULA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday filed chargesheet against former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, senior Congress leader Motilal Vora and Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), publisher of the National Herald newspaper, in special CBI court in Panchkula, for allegedly illegal re-allotment of land to AJL, in Panchkula in 2005.

The chargesheet was filed in the court of special CBI Judge Jagdeep Singh under sections 120 B and 420 of IPC and Sections 13 (I) (d) read with 13 (2) of prevention of corruption act.

As per the allegations, an industrial plot at Panchkula was illegally re-allotted to Associated Journal Ltd (AJL), which is reportedly controlled by senior congress leaders including Gandhi family through Young India Ltd. Founded by former prime minister, Jawahar Lal Nehru, AJL runs National Herald newspaper. The allegations are that by abusing his position and against the legal opinion of authorities and advice of Legal Remembrancer for re-advertising the said plot, the plot was re-allotted to AJL by the then CM cum Chairman Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), Bhupinder Singh Hooda in 2005 at original rates plus interest. Allotment of plot caused loss to exchequer and wrongful enrichment to the company.

The CBI then filed an FIR under Sections 409, 420 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code on the written requests of the Haryana government, the notification of the Union Government and on the complaint of vigilance bureau. The FIR was registered by the CBI on April 6, 2017.

Recently, Haryana governor Satyadev Narayan Arya had approved prosecution of Hooda in the AJL case.

CBI, which had taken over the case from Haryana vigilance bureau in April last year, had sought prosecution sanction in October this year.