ED claims Sonia and Rahul Gandhi gained Rs 142 Cr illegally in National Herald probe

In a major development in the National Herald investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) told a Delhi court that Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi allegedly benefited from unlawful assets amounting to Rs 142 crore. The ED's legal representative, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, asserted that the two continued to retain and gain from these assets until the agency froze linked properties worth Rs 751.9 crore in late 2023.

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The ED maintained that the alleged wrongdoing didn't just stop at acquiring questionable asset, it extended to their ongoing use and possession, which they argue amounts to continued money laundering. The federal body also said there is substantial evidence on record implicating the Gandhis, along with others including Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey.

The presiding judge directed the agency to share the filed chargesheet with Subramanian Swamy, who initiated the case years earlier. This step follows a long-running investigation that officially began in 2021.

The origins of the case

The controversy began with a 2012 complaint by Swamy, accusing the Congress leadership of financial misconduct involving Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the former publisher of the National Herald newspaper. AJL had ceased publication in 2008 due to mounting financial pressure.

In 2010, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi each acquired a 38% stake in Young Indian Limited (YIL), which later took control of AJL. The Congress party had initially provided AJL a loan of Rs 90.25 crore, which was then assigned to YIL for only Rs 50 lakh. This move gave YIL near-total control over AJL, without approval from corporate regulators like the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), raising concerns over legality and transparency.