The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday filed a charge sheet against Congress MP Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and party’s foreign unit head Sam Pitroda in the National Herald Money Laundering case. The special court has fixed the date of hearing 25 April. This is the first time a charge sheet has been filed against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. This charge sheet was filed in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court.
A few hours before this, the investigating agency questioned the allegations of money laundering related to a real estate deal in Haryana, the husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and brother -in -law, Rahul Gandhi’s brother -in -law.
On Saturday, ED issued a notice to take possession of immovable properties worth Rs 661 crore. They were seized in November 2023 to investigate allegations of money laundering against Congress controlled Associated Journals Limited (AJL).
The Central Investigation Agency said in a statement that it has handed over the related documents to the competent property registrar, where the assets are located.
Along with this, these notices were pasted on the ‘major parts’ of these properties on Friday, including ‘Herald House’ on ITO (5A, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg) in Delhi, property (plot number-2, survey number 341) of Mumbai and ‘AJL Building’ located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
In the notice, ED mainly asked to vacate the premises to be occupied.
The investigation of the case by the ED started on 26 June 2014 on the basis of the order issued by the Metropolitan Magistrate of Patiala House Court in New Delhi in 2021. The case is based on a personal complaint filed by BJP’s Subramanian Swamy.
What is the National Herald Case?
The investigation of the case by the ED started on 26 June 2014 on the basis of the order issued by the Metropolitan Magistrate of Patiala House Court in New Delhi in 2021. The case is based on a personal complaint filed by BJP’s Subramanian Swamy.
The complaint was accused of allegedly creating a criminal conspiracy to allegedly involve the fraudulent acquisition of properties worth more than Rs 2000 crore involved in Associated Journal Limited (AJL), including many prominent political personalities, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and several other Congress leaders.
The National Herald is published by AJL and is owned by Young Indian Private Limited. Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are Major Stake Holders of Young Indian, each one has 38 percent shares.
The ED investigation has revealed that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi -owned Young Indian bought AJL properties for just Rs 50 lakh, which is much less than its price. Despite the legal challenges, the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court have allowed the investigation to proceed.
In November 2023, ED also seized shares worth Rs 90.2 crore of Associated Journal Limited (AJL) along with immovable properties worth Rs 661 crore. This action was taken to protect the income of the alleged crime and prevent the accused from selling these properties. According to the ED, the total cost of income of suspected crime in the case is Rs 988 crore.
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