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This photo is done during Rahul Gandhi’s visit to India. Sonia Gandhi attended the visit in Mandya, Karnataka.
The Enforcement Directorate ED has filed the first charge sheet on Tuesday in the Money Laundering case related to the National Herald newspaper of Congress and Associated Journals Limited (AJL). It includes the names of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey.
In this case, action was taken to seize the attachment properties during the investigation on 12 April. The ED issued a notice to take possession of immovable properties worth Rs 661 crore.
Apart from these immovable properties worth 661 crores, AJL’s 90.2 crore rupees shares were attached by ED in November 2023 to secure the income of crime and prevent the accused from destroying it.
Notices were pasted on the building of AJL at Herald House (5A, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg), Mumbai in Delhi and AJL at Biseshwar Nath Road in Lucknow on Friday.
The ED had also given notice to Jindal South West Projects Limited on the 7th, 8th and 9th floors of Herald House in Bandra, Mumbai to transfer the rent/lease amount in favor of the Director of the Enforcement Directorate every month.
Sonia-Rahul was questioned for hours
In June 2022, Rahul Gandhi was questioned 50 hours in 5 days in the National Herald case. Then on 21 July 2022, in the National Herald case, Sonia Gandhi had 12 hours of questions in 3 days. During this time more than 100 questions were raised to him. The ED also questioned Rahul Gandhi for more than 50 hours in five days in June.
What is the National Herald case?
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a petition in Delhi’s Patiala House Court in 2012 and accused Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Congress of Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandez, Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey of grabbing the ongoing National Herald newspaper through cheating and money manipulation.
According to the allegation, the Congress leaders created the Young Indian Limited Organization to capture the properties of the National Herald and through it illegally acquired the Associated Journal Limited (AJL) publishing the National Herald.
Swami alleged that this was done to capture the Rs 2000 crore building of Herald House on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg in Delhi.
Swamy had demanded a criminal trial against other senior leaders of the Congress, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, for purchasing a company worth Rs 2000 crore for only Rs 50 lakh.
June 2014, the court issued summons against Sonia, Rahul and other accused. In August 2014, the ED registered a case of money laundering taking action in this case. In December 2015, the Patiala court of Delhi granted bail to all the accused including Sonia, Rahul.