Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 14: A Delhi court on Monday reserved its order on whether to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) prosecution complaint in the alleged National Herald money laundering case, in which top Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are named as accused.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Court heard arguments from both the prosecution and the defense before scheduling the verdict for July 29.
The case, rooted in a decade-old political controversy, alleges that Young Indian Pvt. Ltd., a company where Sonia and Rahul Gandhi hold a majority stake, was used to illegally acquire over Rs 2,000 crore worth of assets belonging to Associated Journals Ltd. (AJL)—the original publisher of the now-defunct National Herald newspaper—for a mere Rs 50 lakh.
Representing the ED, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju accused the Gandhis of orchestrating a “malicious takeover” under the guise of reviving a non-profit legacy. Raju asserted that Young Indian was “just a shell entity” and the other accused were acting under the direction of the Gandhi family.
He further alleged that fraudulent financial transactions and fabricated rent receipts were used to funnel funds improperly, claiming this led to the misappropriation of public trust assets for private benefit.
Countering the charges, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Sonia Gandhi, dismissed the ED's accusations as “strange” and “unprecedented,” emphasizing that no tangible assets were transferred and that the case lacked substantive evidence of money laundering.
Rahul Gandhi, represented by senior advocate R.S. Cheema, argued that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) merely sought to revive the National Herald as part of a historic legacy and not for commercial gain. The defense underscored that Young Indian is a not-for-profit entity, and the revival effort was being mischaracterized.
The origins of the case trace back to 2012, when BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a complaint alleging cheating and breach of trust by Congress leaders in the process of acquiring AJL’s assets.
With the court now set to pronounce its decision on July 29, the case remains a politically sensitive flashpoint, drawing national attention to issues of financial impropriety, party leadership, and institutional accountability.