National Herald case: ED chargesheets Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others in connection with its money laundering probe in the National Herald case.
While the chargesheet was filed in a special PMLA court on April 9, Special Judge Vishal Gogne on Tuesday examined it on the point of cognizance and posted the matter for April 25.
Last week, the ED had served notices to take possession of immovable assets worth Rs 661 crore — in Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow — that it had attached as part of the money laundering probe against Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which publishes the National Herald newspaper, and Young Indian, which owns it.
Sonia and Rahul are majority shareholders of Young Indian, which is under the ED scanner over allegations that it acquired AJL and its assets for a “a mere Rs 50 lakh”, although the properties were valued at over Rs 2,000 crore, against an alleged loan extended by the Congress party. Both Sonia and Rahul were questioned in 2022 as part of the probe.
The ED case is based on a trial court order that allowed the Income Tax department to probe the affairs of National Herald and conduct a tax assessment of Sonia and Rahul. The order followed a petition filed by Subramanian Swamy in 2013.
Sources said the ED filed a chargesheet after it found sufficient evidence during its investigation. The chargesheet also names Congress leaders Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey as accused.
“A fresh prosecution complaint under Sections 44 and 45 of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, for commission of offence of money laundering as defined under Section 3 read with Section 70 and punishable under Section 4 of PMLA, 2002, filed by the ED, has been received by way of assignment,” Special Judge Vishal Gogne said on Tuesday.
