AJL’s plot in Panchkula attached

New Delhi, May 29 (IANS) The Adjudicating Authority under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act has confirmed provisional attachment of the plot in Panchkula which was allotted to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) by then Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, an official statement said on Wednesday.

The provisional attachment order was issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the plot in December 2018.

The plot was allotted to AJL in 1982 but it was taken back by the Estate Officer of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) as the AJL did not comply with the conditions of the allotment letter.

The Resumption Order attained finality after dismissal of the revision petition in 1996 but Hooda "blatantly misused" his official position and "dishonestly allotted" the plot afresh "in the guise of re-allotment" to the AJL at original rates plus interest in violation of necessary conditions and policy of HUDA in May 2005 for Rs 59.39 lakh, as per the statement.

"The actual value of the property as on February 26, 2011 and July 13, 2017 is Rs 32.25 crore and 64.93 crore respectively. The then CM caused wrongful loss to HUDA and wrongful gain to AJL by ignoring legal opinion," reads the statement.

"Hooda did not stop here but further favoured the AJL by illegally granting them three undue extensions for construction of plot from 01.05.2008 to 10.05.2012 until the AJL completed the construction in 2014."

Now, the Adjudicating Authority of the PMLA 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, it said.