ED Files Chargesheet Against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi in National Herald Case

New Delhi, April 15, 2025: In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in connection with the National Herald money laundering case. The chargesheet, submitted in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court, also names Congress leaders Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, and others, along with entities like Young Indian Private Limited and Dotex Merchandise Private Limited. The court has scheduled the next hearing for April 25, 2025, to consider the cognizance of the charges.The case, rooted in a complaint filed by former BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2014, alleges that Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, who hold 38% stakes each in Young Indian, orchestrated a “criminal conspiracy” to fraudulently acquire properties worth over ₹2,000 crore owned by Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of the National Herald newspaper. The ED claims this was achieved through Young Indian’s takeover of AJL for a nominal sum, constituting money laundering under Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The chargesheet further details the seizure of prime AJL assets, including properties in Delhi, Mumbai, and Lucknow, valued at over ₹700 crore, such as the iconic Herald House in the capital.The Congress has vehemently denounced the ED’s actions, labeling them as “vendetta politics” orchestrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh called the chargesheet a “state-sponsored crime masquerading as the rule of law” and accused the government of targeting the party’s leadership to silence opposition voices. Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi dismissed the case as “fake,” arguing that no money or property was transferred, rendering the money laundering allegations baseless. The party has announced nationwide protests outside ED offices and central government establishments on April 16, 2025, to protest what it calls a politically motivated witch hunt.The BJP, however, has hailed the ED’s move, with MP Anil Baluni asserting that the chargesheet exposes the “corruption” of the Nehru-Gandhi family. He claimed the formation of Young Indian was a deliberate ploy to siphon off AJL’s valuable assets, reinforcing the BJP’s narrative of Congress as a corrupt entity.This marks the first time Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have been named in an ED chargesheet, escalating the legal and political battle surrounding the National Herald case. As the April 25 hearing approaches, the case is likely to intensify the ongoing war of words between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, with significant implications for India’s political landscape.