Delhi Police has filed a fresh First Information Report (FIR) naming Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and seven others in connection with the National Herald case. The senior Congress leaders have now been charged with criminal conspiracy in the case.
This follows a complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as part of its ongoing money laundering investigation, which accuses the party’s first family of misusing their position for personal benefit.
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police lodged the FIR on October 3. The report charges the accused under various sections of the Indian Penal Code: 120B (criminal conspiracy), 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property), 406 (criminal breach of trust), and 420 (cheating), news agency PTI reported, citing official sources.
Apart from the Gandhis, the FIR also names Congress leaders Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda, entities like Young Indian (YI), Dotex Merchandise Ltd, promoter Sunil Bhandari, and Associated Journals Ltd. (AJL), along with some unidentified others.
These same entities (except the unknown accused) were previously listed in the ED’s chargesheet submitted to a Delhi court in April. The court has yet to take cognizance of the matter, with the next hearing scheduled for December 16.
The Congress party has criticised the probe, describing it as “petty vendetta tactics,” and branded the ED a “coalition partner” of the BJP, implying political motivation behind the investigation.
The ED leveraged its powers under section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to prompt the Delhi Police to register the FIR. This provision allows the federal agency to share evidence with local police, enabling them to file criminal charges required to advance the money laundering case.
Origin Of The Investigation And Allegations
This FIR complements the ED’s chargesheet, which was initiated following a court order from the Metropolitan Magistrate of Delhi. The order stemmed from a private complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on June 26, 2014, pointing to alleged irregularities in the National Herald’s financial dealings.
The FIR reflects the ED’s allegations, as outlined in a September 4 letter to the EOW, marking a continuation of the agency’s claims presented in its official chargesheet.
What Is The Money Laundering Scheme
The ED alleges a “criminal conspiracy” involving several senior political figures including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, late Congress leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda, and the private company Young Indian.
The scheme reportedly involved the fraudulent acquisition of properties worth over Rs 2,000 crore from Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the publisher of National Herald newspaper and its web platform.
Young Indian Private Limited, which owns AJL, has Sonia and Rahul Gandhi as its majority shareholders, each holding 38%. Both leaders were questioned by the ED for several hours in the past regarding this case.
The ED’s investigation claims to have conclusively found that Young Indian, beneficially owned by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, acquired AJL properties worth Rs 2,000 crore for a fraction of their value, paying only Rs 50 lakh.
The chargesheet further accuses Sonia Gandhi of “abusing” her former role as AICC president to convert public funds into private gain, benefiting herself and her son through Young Indian.
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