ED Files Chargesheet Against Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in National Herald Money Laundering Case

New Delhi, April 15: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and several others in connection with the National Herald money laundering case involving alleged financial irregularities amounting to ₹988 crore. As per agency report, the chargesheet was submitted before Special Judge Vishal Gogne on April 9, and the court has scheduled the next hearing for April 25 to examine key aspects of the case.

The chargesheet also names Congress leaders Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey as accused, along with entities such as Young Indian, Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd, and Sunil Bhandari. The ED's Special Public Prosecutor N.K. Matta submitted the charges under sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which pertain to money laundering and associated penalties.

The special court, designated for hearing cases involving MPs and MLAs, noted that the predicate offence—being separately investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)—is linked to the same set of allegations. The ED informed the court that it intends to move an application to the District Judge for transferring the CBI-related case to Judge Gogne's court to consolidate the trial.

The ED has argued that the same court must hear both the predicate offence and the money laundering charges arising from it. The court echoed this view and observed that since Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are members of Parliament, a unified judicial process is essential.

Judge Gogne directed the court staff to ensure that all documents are properly paginated and instructed the ED to submit a readable soft copy of the case file by the next hearing. The case file related to the predicate offence will also be called for review.

The ED recently stated that it has issued notices to take possession of immovable properties worth ₹661 crore allegedly linked to money laundering in the National Herald case. The properties are reportedly tied to Associated Journals Ltd. (AJL), the publisher of the National Herald, which is owned by Young Indian Pvt. Ltd.

According to the ED, the investigation began in 2021 following a 2014 complaint by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in Delhi's Patiala House Court. The complaint accused Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, along with other prominent Congress leaders and associates, of criminal conspiracy and financial misappropriation involving assets worth over ₹2,000 crore.

The agency alleges that Young Indian, in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi each hold 38 percent of shares, acquired control of AJL's assets for just ₹50 lakh. These assets, according to the ED, include properties across several cities and are valued far beyond the acquisition cost.

The ED also claims that Young Indian and AJL were used to generate proceeds of crime through fake donations worth ₹18 crore, fictitious advance rentals of ₹38 crore, and bogus advertisements amounting to ₹29 crore.

Both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have previously been questioned for several hours by the ED in connection with this case. The agency asserts that despite various legal challenges to the investigation, both the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court have upheld the proceedings, allowing the probe to continue.

The case has reignited political controversy, with implications for the Congress leadership ahead of national elections. The court will further evaluate the matter on April 25, when the ED is expected to present the full case diary and supporting documentation.