National Herald case: ED files chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul

Besides the Gandhis, Indian Overseas Congress head Sam Pitroda and a Gandhi-family associate Suman Dubey have also been named in the chargesheet.

New Delhi: Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi have been named in a chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the money laundering case involving Congress-controlled Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which publishes National Herald.

Congress, which has been denying any wrongdoing on the part of the Gandhis, was quick to call it "politics of vendetta" and vowed to legally challenge it, saying the party and its leadership "will not be silenced". 

The ED had on Saturday said it has initiated the process to take possession of National Herald House in Delhi, Nehru Bhavan in Lucknow and Herald House in Mumbai, cumulatively worth Rs 661.91 crore which were attached earlier. It has also attached Young Indian’s Rs 90.21 crore in the form of investment of equity shares in AJL.

Besides the Gandhis, who are the first two accused, Indian Overseas Congress head Sam Pitroda and a Gandhi-family associate Suman Dubey have also been named in the chargesheet filed under Sections 3 (money laundering) and 4 (punishment for money laundering) of Prevention of Money Laundering Act and submitted in the court on April 9.

It has also named M/s Young India, M/s Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd and one Sunil Bhandari as other accused.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne, who deals with dealing with the cases of lawmakers, examined the chargesheet on Tuesday and posted the matter for April 25. The Special Counsel for the ED and Investigation Officer to ensure the production of the case diaries for perusal by the court, Gogne said.

"Let the complaint be checked and registered. The Ahlmad (court staff) shall ensure that the entire file/documents are properly paginated. The ED is directed to file a soft copy of the complaint and documents in readable/OCR format by the next date," the judge added.

The ED has told the Special Court dealing with the cases of lawmakers that it would be moving an application before the District Judge for the transfer of the case related to the predicate offence from another court to Judge Gogne's court. The ED had started investigation on the basis of a CBI FIR for alleged cheating, criminal conspiracy and other offences.

An ED statement on Saturday has said its probe has “conclusively revealed” that Sonia and Rahul Gandhi acquired properties of AJL worth Rs 2000 crores for a mere Rs 50 lakh, “significantly undervaluing” its worth, in the name of Young Indian in which both had 38% each stake.

The ED had started the probe in 2021 on the basis of cognizance order by a metropolitan magistrate on the private complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy.  

In his petition, Swamy had accused Sonia, Rahul and others, including late Motilal Vohra and Oscar Fernandes, of criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy in transferring AJL properties to Young Indian, which is controlled by the Gandhi family.

Timeline of National Herald case

* Subramanian Swamy files complaint in Delhi High Court claiming Young Indian Ltd in which Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have 76% shares has taken over Associate Journals Ltd, which publishes National Herald, through cheating 

* Accused of taking over assets worth Rs 2,000 crore for a meagre Rs 50 lakh; AJL had an outstanding loan of Rs 88 crore in 2010

* Sonia, Rahul, late Motilal Vohra and Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda named in Swamy's complaint

* Court takes cognizance of the matter in 2014

* ED starts investigations in 2021

* Attaches 3 properties worth Rs 661.91 crore and shares worth Rs 90.21 crore in November 2023; ED initiates process to take over 3 properties on April 10.