Congress leaders were involved in fake transactions in National Herald case, ED tells court

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday (July 2, 2025) submitted in a Delhi court that the Congress party wanted to usurp around ₹2,000 crore assets of the now-defunct National Herald newspaper.

The central agency probing a money laundering case in the matter added that several Congress leaders were involved in ‘fake transactions’ made to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of the paper.

The submissions were made in the court of Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Court who, on Wednesday (July 2, 2025), started hearing arguments on cognisance of ED’s prosecution complaint in the case in which leaders of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson leader Sonia Gandhi, Sam Pitroda among others, are accused.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, representing the ED, submitted in the court that Ms. Sonia Gandhi and her son, Mr. Rahul Gandhi, acquired complete ownership of AJL by paying a mere sum of ₹50 lakh. He added that the newspaper has a real estate value of more than 2,000 crores and has properties in Delhi, Lucknow, Bhopal, Indore, Panchkula, Patna, etc. The ED claimed that the properties owned by the AJL were provided by the Central government and various State governments for newspaper printing and publishing after Independence.

ED’s counsel also submitted that the close associates of the Gandhi family and senior party leader were appointed as directors of AJL and they had done ‘fake transactions’ to funnel money.

The ED had filed the prosecution complaint in the matter on April 15 this year. The hearing will continue on Thursday (July 3, 2025) as well.

The case stems from the assignment of a ₹90 crore loan advanced by the Congress party to AJL, to Young Indian for a consideration of ₹50 lakh. It has been alleged that there was misappropriation of assets of over ₹2,000 crore in an equity transaction.

The compliant in the case was filed by senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy who highlighted a criminal conspiracy by several prominent political figures, including Ms. Gandhi, her son, late Motilal Vohra, late Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda, and a private company, Young Indian.