What’s Next in the National Herald Case? Delhi Court to Continue Hearing on July 12

New Delhi, July 8 (NationPress) Following a partial hearing of the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) rebuttal arguments, the Rouse Avenue Court has scheduled the next session of the National Herald money laundering case for July 12.

The high-profile case includes prominent figures such as Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Sam Pitroda, the Congress Overseas Chief, and Suman Dubey, all named in the prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

In his rebuttal, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, representing the ED, countered the arguments made on behalf of the Gandhis, asserting that they indeed had control over the assets of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the original publisher of the National Herald.

During the last session, Rahul Gandhi stated that the efforts of the All India Congress Committee to revive the pre-Independence era publication were misinterpreted as attempts to liquidate its assets. Senior advocate RS Cheema, defending Rahul Gandhi, emphasized the non-profit nature of the organization, asserting that the AICC aimed to restore the newspaper's legacy.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Sonia Gandhi, labeled the money laundering accusations as “highly unusual” and “without precedent,” insisting that there were no tangible assets involved.

Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne at the Rouse Avenue Courts is conducting a day-to-day hearing of the Central agency's arguments and the responses from the accused, including the Gandhis, starting from July 2.

In earlier hearings, the ED alleged that Young Indian Ltd—in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi hold a majority stake—was utilized to misappropriate approximately Rs 2,000 crore worth of National Herald assets by acquiring them for a mere Rs 50 lakh. ASG Raju claimed that Young Indian operates merely as a façade, with the other accused functioning as fronts for the Gandhi family.

The ED posited that a conspiracy was orchestrated to create Young Indian, which enabled control over the extensive assets of the now-defunct newspaper, ultimately aimed at benefiting top Congress leadership personally. The agency also noted the involvement of several senior Congress leaders in dubious transactions linked to AJL. ASG Raju informed the court that individuals had been making fraudulent advance rent payments over the years at the behest of senior Congress officials, complete with falsified rent receipts.

The ED's prosecution complaint asserted that through a calculated takeover, the Congress leadership misappropriated property belonging to AJL, converting public trusts into private assets.

The controversy surrounding the National Herald's assets first gained attention in 2012 when BJP leader Subramanian Swamy lodged a complaint in a trial court, alleging that Congress leaders had engaged in fraud and breach of trust during the acquisition of AJL.