The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached property worth Rs 30 crores in Mohali allotted by former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in the case of Associated Journals & National Herald Case, reported News 18.
According to reports, the ED today attached the properties worth Rs.30 crores which were earlier allocated by former Chief Minister Hooda to Sonia Gandhi led Associated Journals Limited (AJL) by allegedly floating several rules in a case pertaining to re-allotment of an institution plot in Panchkula, Haryana.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday had charge-sheeted former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and senior Congress leader Motilal Vora for their alleged involvement in the National Herald case. It is alleged that the then Haryana CM BS Hooda during his tenure as Chief Minister in a gross abuse of power and in contravention to the laid rules, utilised his position to re-allot the plot to AJL in 2005 at original rates plus interest.
The charge sheet was filed under sections 120B and 420 of the IPC in the court of special Judge Jagdeep Singh. The CBI had earlier filed an FIR on April 6, 2017, under section 409, 420 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code on the requests made by the Haryana government, Central government and the complaints received by the Vigilance Commission.
Interestingly, the attachment by the Enforcement Directorate comes as the National Herald case against Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi is set to come up for hearing on 4th December.
Earlier, this month the central government had sent a legal order to National Herald publishers to vacate the premises allotted to them at Press Enclave called the ‘Herald House’. The building was reportedly allocated to the promoters of the newspaper for installing a press to print ‘National Herald’ but the premises were not being used for any printing activity and most of it is rented out.
National Herald scam is one of the most notable legal cases in Indian history, as the Gandhis are directly accused. The Mother-Son duo of Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia, along with their aides – Oscar Fernandez, Motilal Vohra and Sam Pitroda are alleged to have involved in massive ‘cheating and breach of trust’ in the acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) by Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YIL), as assets worth crores of rupees had been allegedly transferred for purposes other than originally intended for a paltry sum. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi got unconditional bail in December 2015.
