National Herald Case: ED files chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi
National herald case: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed its first chargesheet against senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, along with the party’s overseas cell chief Sam Pitroda, in connection with the National Herald money laundering case. A special court has scheduled April 25 as the date to consider the charges.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne noted, "The present prosecution complaint shall next be taken up for consideration, on the aspect of cognisance," adding that the ED’s Special Counsel and Investigating Officer must present the case diaries during the next hearing.
This marks the first time that Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have been formally chargesheeted in the ongoing investigation linked to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of the National Herald newspaper.
ED moves to take possession of AJL properties worth Rs 661 cr
Just days before filing the chargesheet, the ED served notices for the seizure of immovable assets valued at Rs 661 crore. These properties had already been provisionally attached in November 2023. Notices were placed at prime locations, including National Herald House on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg in Delhi, a property in Mumbai’s Bandra, and AJL's premises in Lucknow.
The ED’s case stems from a private complaint filed in 2014 by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, alleging a criminal conspiracy involving the Gandhis and others to acquire AJL’s assets—worth over ?2,000 crore—through Young Indian Pvt Ltd, a company in which both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi hold a 38% stake.
Robert Vadra also grilled by ED on same day
Coinciding with the filing of the chargesheet, businessman Robert Vadra—husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra—was questioned by the ED in connection with a separate money laundering probe linked to a real estate deal in Haryana.
Vadra, who walked into the ED office amid slogans like “jab Modi darta hai, ED ko aage karta hai” ("whenever Modi is scared, he unleashes the ED"), slammed the summons as part of a “political vendetta.” He maintained that he has always cooperated with investigations and dismissed the charges as baseless.
The case concerns a 2008 land deal in Haryana, where Vadra’s firm, Skylight Hospitality, purchased land for Rs 7.5 crore and later sold it to DLF for Rs 58 crore after securing development permissions. At the time, the Congress was in power in the state. Both Vadra and former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda have denied any wrongdoing.
- With inputs from agencies
