Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Nov 30: Senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi have been booked on charges of criminal conspiracy in the National Herald money laundering case, following a fresh FIR registered by the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW). The case stems from allegations of financial irregularities and the alleged wrongful takeover of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the company that once published the National Herald newspaper.
According to the FIR, filed on October 3, six individuals have been named as accused, including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Sam Pitroda and others. Three companies—Associated Journals Limited (AJL), Young Indian, and Dotex Merchandise Private Limited—have also been charged. Police said the FIR is based on a complaint from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which shared its investigation report under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Investigators allege that Dotex Merchandise, believed to be a shell firm based in Kolkata, transferred Rs 1 crore to Young Indian, the not-for-profit company in which Rahul and Sonia Gandhi hold a combined 76 per cent stake. Through this funding route, Young Indian allegedly paid Rs 50 lakh to the Congress party and acquired control of AJL, whose asset value was estimated at around Rs 2,000 crore.
The FIR has been filed at a time when the Delhi court has deferred its ruling in the National Herald matter to December 16.
Background of the case
The controversy dates back to 2012, when BJP leader Subramanian Swamy approached a Delhi court accusing Congress leaders of cheating and breach of trust in the process of acquiring Associated Journals Limited, which published the National Herald newspaper founded in 1938 by Jawaharlal Nehru and other freedom fighters.
The National Herald ceased publication in 2008 due to a financial crunch, leaving AJL burdened with debts of Rs 90 crore. Over the years, the Congress party extended loans amounting to Rs 90 crore to AJL in nearly 100 instalments. When AJL failed to repay the loan, Congress stated that the amount was converted into equity shares, which, since the party could not legally hold, were allotted to Young Indian—a company formed in 2010.
Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi hold 38 per cent shares each in Young Indian, while the remaining shares are held by Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey. With this conversion, Young Indian emerged as the majority shareholder of AJL.
The allegations now being probed suggest that this restructuring amounted to a criminal conspiracy designed to take over AJL and its substantial assets.
Further investigation is underway.