Did the Delhi Court Just Issue Notices to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald Case?

New Delhi, May 2 (NationPress) A court in the capital has issued notices to Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, and Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, regarding the alleged money laundering case linked to the National Herald. The Rouse Avenue Courts have directed the Gandhis and other accused parties to clarify why the court should not acknowledge the charge sheet presented by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Last week, Special Judge Vishal Gogne had temporarily refrained from issuing the notice on the ED’s prosecution complaint, requesting the federal agency to submit necessary documents and rectify existing flaws.

The prosecution argued that the court could recognize a charge sheet without hearing from the accused, but the judge responded, “I cannot pass such an order until satisfied.” The court subsequently scheduled the hearing for May 2.

Recently, the ED filed a prosecution complaint against several senior Congress figures, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, in connection with the National Herald case. Others mentioned in the charge sheet include Sam Pitroda, Congress Overseas Chief, Suman Dubey, and others.

The charge sheet submitted to Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Courts estimates the alleged proceeds from these crimes at approximately Rs 988 crore. It is claimed that the Congress leadership misappropriated assets belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the original publisher of the National Herald, by converting public trusts into personal assets.

The National Herald, a newspaper founded in 1938 by Jawaharlal Nehru and other notable leaders, was intended to represent the liberal voices within the Indian National Congress. Published by AJL, it played a vital role for Congress during the struggle for independence and the years that followed. AJL also published newspapers in Hindi and Urdu alongside the English version. Unfortunately, the publication ceased operations in 2008, burdened by debts exceeding Rs 90 crore.

The dispute surrounding its assets gained attention in 2012 when Subramanian Swamy, a BJP leader, filed a complaint alleging that Congress leaders had committed fraud and breached trust during the acquisition of AJL.

Swamy claimed that Young Indian Ltd, in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi hold majority stakes, took control of the newspaper’s substantial assets through a “malicious” takeover intended to benefit party leadership personally. During the investigation, the ED discovered that the accused utilized Young Indian to acquire AJL’s assets for a mere Rs 50 lakh. The agency asserted that Young Indian, beneficially owned by the Gandhis, effectively seized control of AJL’s properties while undervaluing their actual market value.

In November 2023, the ED attached immovable properties valued at Rs 661 crore and AJL shares worth Rs 90.2 crore, labeling them as suspected proceeds of crime.