The hearing of the National Herald case was held in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court today. The complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in this case claims that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have earned Rs 142 crore through money laundering. ED’s Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju has argued in the court that, ‘Until the ED seized properties worth Rs 751.9 crore related to National Herald in November 2023, those involved in the case were enjoying the proceeds of crime. The Gandhi family not only laundered the proceeds of crime but also kept the money with them and continued this crime.’ The ED has argued that, ‘In the National Herald case, the case has been prima facie proven against the Gandhi family, Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey and others. The Gandhi family laundered money by receiving the proceeds of crime. Not only that, they kept that money with them and continued the crime.’
The National Herald case begins with a loan of Rs 90.25 crore between the Indian National Congress (INC) and Associated Journals Limited (AJL). The ED alleges that this loan was transferred to a company called Young Indian for just Rs 50 lakh, behind which there was a conspiracy to seize property worth Rs 2,000 crore. The court asked the ED who is the real owner of the AJL property? Are the shareholders the owners? The answer to this question can be found in the July hearing.
