Fresh Legal Trouble for Congress Leadership
The economic offences wing of the Delhi Police has initiated new legal proceedings against top Congress leaders, registering a fresh First Information Report (FIR) against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. The case also includes six other associates and business entities in what authorities describe as a criminal conspiracy to fraudulently acquire Associated Journals Ltd.
The acquisition allegedly occurred through Young Indian, where the Gandhi family held 76% shareholding. At the time of the acquisition, Associated Journals Ltd was a Congress-held entity possessing properties valued at an astonishing Rs 2,000 crore, making this one of the most significant financial cases involving political figures.
ED's Investigation Forms Basis of New FIR
Dated October 3, the Delhi police FIR stems from a complaint filed by the Headquarters Investigative Unit (HIU) of the Enforcement Directorate. The ED has shared comprehensive findings from its extensive investigation into the National Herald money laundering case covering the period from 2008 to 2024.
The legal framework enabling this development comes from Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This provision permits the ED to request other enforcement agencies to register and investigate scheduled offences, which can subsequently become predicate offences necessary for the ED to advance its own investigation under PMLA.
Long-standing Legal Battle Continues
The current money laundering probe by the ED originally began based on a private complaint from former BJP MP Subramanian Swamy. The metropolitan magistrate's court in Patiala House took cognisance of this complaint back in June 2014, marking the beginning of this nearly decade-long legal battle.
On April 9, the central agency filed a prosecution complaint (chargesheet) under PMLA against the Gandhis and other accused before a special MPs/MLAs court at Rouse Avenue. However, the court has not yet taken cognisance of this matter, leaving the legal status in limbo.
Congress party representatives have consistently challenged these allegations, characterizing them as a political witch hunt orchestrated by the government. When contacted about the Delhi police registering the fresh FIR, the party claimed they were not aware of the development.
Expanded List of Accused
Beyond Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, the FIR registered by Delhi Police includes three additional individuals, notably Sam Pitroda, who serves as the chief of Indian Overseas Congress. The case also names three corporate entities: AJL itself, Young Indian, and Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd.
Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd is allegedly a Kolkata-based shell company that provided Rs 1 crore to Young India. From this amount, the Gandhis reportedly paid Congress Rs 50 lakh to acquire AJL with its substantial assets worth Rs 2,000 crore.
Investigative sources indicate that police are likely to summon shareholders of AJL for questioning. The primary objective will be to determine whether the Congress party consulted them and obtained their approval before transferring the company to Young Indian, which is beneficially owned by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.
This development represents another chapter in the long-running National Herald case that has kept the Congress leadership embroiled in legal proceedings for years, with significant political implications for one of India's major political parties.
