New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in connection with the high-profile National Herald money laundering case. This is the first time the Gandhis have been formally chargesheeted in the matter.
Also named in the chargesheet is Sam Pitroda, head of the Congress’s overseas wing, along with others linked to the party and the company involved. The ED’s move escalates the legal battle surrounding the decades-old newspaper’s financial dealings.
A special court has set April 25 as the next date for hearing, during which the ED’s special counsel and investigating officer are expected to present the case diary for judicial review. Special Judge Vishal Gogne stated that cognizance of the chargesheet would be considered in the upcoming session.
The development follows the ED’s issuance of notices on Saturday for the seizure of immovable assets worth Rs 661 crore. These properties, provisionally attached in November 2023, are located in Delhi, Mumbai’s Bandra area, and Lucknow’s Bisheshwar Nath Road — all linked to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of the National Herald.
The money laundering probe, launched by the ED in 2021, stems from a 2014 private complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. He alleged financial irregularities in the transfer of AJL’s assets to Young Indian Pvt. Ltd., a firm in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi hold a 76% stake collectively.
The ED alleges that properties worth over Rs 2,000 crore were illicitly acquired through this arrangement, involving AJL and Young Indian — the latter being the current owner of The National Herald. The case underscores one of the most politically charged legal battles in recent years.
