Delhi court reserves verdict on ED complaint in National Herald case
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New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday reserved its decision on whether to take cognisance of the prosecution complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the alleged National Herald money laundering case.
The case, which has drawn national attention, names Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress Overseas Chief Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, and others as accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
After hearing arguments from both the ED and the proposed accused, including the Gandhis, Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Courts scheduled the order for July 29.
During proceedings, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, appearing for the ED, alleged that Young Indian Ltd—where Sonia and Rahul Gandhi hold majority stakes—was used to acquire assets worth approximately ₹2,000 crore belonging to the National Herald for a nominal sum of ₹50 lakh.
ASG Raju stated, “Young Indian exists just in name, and all the other accused are puppets of the Gandhi family.”
According to the ED, Young Indian was formed as part of a conspiracy to gain control over the defunct newspaper’s assets, allegedly for the personal benefit of senior Congress leaders.
The agency further claimed that several senior Congress functionaries were involved in “fake transactions” with Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the original publisher of the National Herald.
ASG Raju told the court that “individuals were making fraudulent advance rent payments over several years at the direction of senior Congress functionaries with fabricated rent receipts.”
The prosecution complaint also alleged that the Congress leadership had “misappropriated property belonging to the AJL and converted public trusts into personal assets.”
In response, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Sonia Gandhi, dismissed the allegations as “really strange” and “unprecedented”, arguing that no tangible assets were involved.
Rahul Gandhi contended that the All India Congress Committee’s efforts to revive the pre-Independence newspaper were misinterpreted as attempts to liquidate its assets.
Supporting this view, senior advocate R.S. Cheema, appearing for Rahul Gandhi, emphasised that the National Herald was never a commercial venture and that the AICC’s intention was solely to restore the publication’s legacy.
The controversy dates back to 2012, when BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a complaint in a trial court, accusing Congress leaders of cheating and breach of trust in their acquisition of AJL.
(inputs from IANS)
