The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday submitted before the Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) that former Haryana Chief Minister (CM) re-allotted a plot to the Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which is reportedly controlled by senior Congress leaders, including the Gandhi family, by misusing his official position and causing wrongful gain to the company.

This was revealed by the ED during the hearing of a petition filed by Congress leader and AJL's Chairman Motilal Vora seeking quashing of a money laundering case registered by the ED into the alleged irregularities into re-allotment of a plot to the AJL in Panchkula.

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The ED in its affidavit submitted before the Division Bench of the HC comprising Justice AK Mittal and Justice Amit Rawal, also said that Hooda was desperate enough to favour the AJL, therefore despite the recommendations of the Chief Administrator (CA), Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) and the Financial Commissioner, Town and Country Planning (FCTCP), that there was no merit in the case, the then CM overruled the recommendations of officials and the directed the HUDA to examine the possibility of restoring the allotment of the plot to the M/S AJL.

The affidavit filed on behalf of the ED's Deputy Director SK Kantiwal further states that despite the then District Attorney, HUDA, and the Legal Remembrancer also gave legal opined that the plot cannot be re-allotted or restored the same allottee, Hooda re-allotted the plot to the AJL against the policy of the HUDA.

The ED in its reply, has also stated that the AJL had also made representation to the former CM Bansi Lal for the restoration of the said plot but it was treated with non-Consideration by him.

Meanwhile, the HC has adjourned the matter till August 31 for further hearing.

Initially the plot was allotted to the AJL in 1982 and as per the terms and conditions, the allottee required to start and complete the construction within the stipulated period. However, the AJL allegedly did not comply with the conditions of the allotment letter, therefore the Estate Officer, HUDA in October 1992 ordered to resume the plot.

Though, the AJL challenged the said order at various administrative level but appeals were dismissed. With Hooda-led Congress came to power in Haryana in 2005, the plot having worth of Rs Crores was re-allotted to the AJL at the cost of Rs 59 lakh (Including interest).

Last year, the ED registered the enforcement case investigation report (ECIR) based on based on a 2016 FIR of the Haryana Vigilance Bureau regarding allegations into the said re-allotment.

Following which, Vora moved the HC seeking quashing of the said case. Vora is the chairman of AJL while Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi are also shareholders in it.