AJL Plot Allotment: CBI court grants bail to Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Motilal Vora

PANCHKULA: 

 CBI court on Thursday granted bail to former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and senior Congress leader Motilal Vora in AJL Land allotment case.

In the last hearing, the special  CBI Judge Jagdeep Singh had issued notice to former CM Haryana Hooda and Vora and had directed them to appear in person on January 3.

On Thursday, both Hooda and Vora had appeared in Panchkula CBI court. The court has now fixed February 6 as next date of hearing

On December 1 last year, the CBI had filed chargesheet against Hooda, 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.