In a massive blow to the Gandhis in the National Herald case, properties worth Rs. 64 crores have been attached permanently by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). These properties, located in Haryana's Panchkula, were attached by the probe agency in December 2018 and now, the adjudicating authority has confirmed the attachment.

As per inputs, the ED had sought court permission to attach the properties as a permanent attachment, following which the move has been taken. The order of ED was already approved by adjudicating authority after granting a hearing to Associated Journals Limited (AJL) which had appealed against the attachment and lost.

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"The Adjudicating Authority under Prevention of Money Laundering Act has confirmed the provisional attachment order by the ED wherein Plot Number C 17 Sector 6 Panchkula involved in the commission of the crime as the same was illegally allotted to AJL by the then CM of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda." The report stated.

The ED investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Act has revealed that the plot number C-17, sector 6, Panchkula was allotted to the AJL in the year 1982 as per the request of the company to start the Nav-Jivan newspaper. As AJL did not comply with the terms and conditions of the allotment, the estate officer, HUDA (Haryana Urban Development Authority), Panchkula in 1992 held that AJL violated the requisite terms and conditions of the allotment letter by not starting the construction and completing the same within the stipulated period, and resumed the properties.

Earlier in 2018, the Delhi High Court did not stay the Herald House eviction notice, and the Haryana Governor sanctioned the prosecution of Ex-CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda.