Delhi Court Rejects ED's Charge Sheet Against Sonia and Rahul in National Herald Case

New Delhi, April 25 (NationPress) A court in the capital has chosen not to issue notices to Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi concerning the alleged National Herald money laundering case. The court requested the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to present additional documents related to the charge sheet filed against these prominent political figures.

A special court at the Rouse Avenue Courts was deliberating on the ED's request to take cognizance of the charge sheet submitted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne instructed the federal anti-money laundering agency to ensure that all necessary documents are submitted and any discrepancies addressed.

While the ED argued that the court might consider a prosecution complaint without hearing the accused, the judge remarked: "I cannot pass such an order until satisfied."

The court has scheduled the next hearing for May 2.

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

The charge sheet, submitted to Delhi's Rouse Avenue Courts, estimates the alleged proceeds of crime to be around Rs 988 crore. The allegations suggest that Congress leadership misappropriated property belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the original publisher of the National Herald, by transforming public trusts into personal assets. The National Herald, a newspaper founded by Jawaharlal Nehru and other notable leaders in 1938, was intended to represent the liberal perspective within the Indian National Congress. Published by AJL, the National Herald played a vital role for Congress during the freedom struggle and the years following independence. In addition to the English edition, AJL also published newspapers in Hindi and Urdu. However, the publication ceased operations in 2008 due to debts exceeding Rs 90 crore.

The controversy surrounding its assets gained attention in 2012 when BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a complaint in court, accusing Congress leaders of cheating and breach of trust in acquiring AJL. According to Swamy, the company Young Indian Ltd—in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are majority stakeholders—gained control over the newspaper's substantial assets through a "malicious" takeover intended to benefit the party leadership.

During the investigation, the ED discovered that the accused, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, utilized Young Indian to gain AJL’s assets for a nominal amount of Rs 50 lakh. The agency asserted that Young Indian, beneficially owned by the Gandhis, effectively seized control of AJL’s properties while undervaluing their 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 suspected proceeds of crime.