Former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda Discharged in Money Laundering Case

A Panchkula court discharged former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Associated Journals Limited in a money laundering case. This follows a high court ruling overturning charges linked to a plot’s re-allotment. The Enforcement Directorate's complaint was closed as the predicate case had been resolved.

In a significant legal development, a special court in Panchkula, Haryana, discharged former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and the Associated Journals Limited in connection with a money laundering case on Friday. The case was linked to the re-allotment of a plot in Panchkula.

The court's decision comes on the heels of a ruling by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on February 25, which annulled an earlier 2021 order that had levied charges against Hooda and others involved. The high court found insufficient grounds for the prosecution, emphasizing the lack of essential elements required to establish the alleged offenses.

Congress veteran Hooda was present during the proceedings. The closure of the Enforcement Directorate's case was a consequence of the high court's decision to dismiss charges in the primary case brought by the CBI. This marks a closure to long-standing legal proceedings involving allegations of financial misconduct linked to the plot's re-allotment.

(With inputs from agencies.)