In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others in connection with an alleged money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper. The chargesheet, submitted before Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court, also names Congress Overseas Chief Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, and others, with the court scheduling the next hearing for April 25, 2025.
The ED’s prosecution complaint accuses the named individuals and Young Indian Private Limited, a company where Sonia and Rahul Gandhi each hold a 38% stake, of orchestrating a “criminal conspiracy” to fraudulently acquire properties worth over ₹2,000 crore belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which publishes the National Herald. The agency alleges that Young Indian acquired AJL’s assets for a mere ₹50 lakh, significantly undervaluing their worth, and used these properties to generate “proceeds of crime” through bogus donations, advance rent, and advertisements amounting to ₹85 crore.
The investigation, initiated in 2021 following a 2014 court order based on a complaint by former BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, claims that public money was converted for personal use through a complex scheme. The ED further alleges that AJL’s properties, including the iconic National Herald House on Delhi’s Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, were usurped in a “malicious” bid. On April 11, 2025, the ED issued notices to property registrars in Delhi, Mumbai, and Lucknow to facilitate the seizure of AJL assets valued at ₹661 crore, along with shares worth ₹90.2 crore.
The Congress party has vehemently denounced the chargesheet, labeling it as “vendetta politics” and a “state-sponsored crime masquerading as the rule of law.” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh stated on X, “Filing chargesheets against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and some others is nothing but politics of vendetta and intimidation by the Prime Minister and the Home Minister gone completely berserk.” The party has announced nationwide protests outside ED offices on April 16, 2025, to oppose what it calls a “frivolous, politically motivated” case. Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi called the allegations “fake,” arguing that the case lacks evidence of money movement or property transfer.
The chargesheet was filed under Sections 3 (money laundering) and 4 (punishment for money laundering) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), with the ED’s special public prosecutor, N.K. Matta, presenting the case. Special Judge Vishal Gogne directed the ED to produce case diaries for the court’s perusal during the upcoming hearing, marking the first instance of a chargesheet being filed against Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in this case.
The National Herald case has been a contentious issue since Swamy’s 2012 complaint, which accused the Gandhis of misappropriating funds and setting up Young Indian to buy AJL’s debt using Congress party funds. The ED’s recent actions, including the provisional attachment of AJL properties in November 2023, have intensified the legal battle, with the agency now moving to take possession of assets worth over ₹700 crore.
As the case progresses, it continues to spark heated political debates, with the Congress accusing the ruling BJP of weaponizing central agencies to silence opposition voices, while the ED maintains that its investigation has uncovered substantial evidence of financial misconduct. The April 25 hearing is expected to shed further light on the legal proceedings and the arguments of both sides.