On Tuesday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a chargesheet in the National Herald money laundering case, naming Congress MPs Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Sam Pitroda, the head of the party’s overseas unit. This is the first chargesheet against the Gandhis in connection with the case.
A special court, led by Judge Vishal Gogne, has set the hearing for April 25, where the court will review the prosecution complaint and case diaries.
Details of the Case and Investigation
The ED initiated its investigation into the case in 2021, based on a 2014 order from Delhi’s Patiala House Court, following a private complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. The case revolves around allegations of a money laundering conspiracy involving the Congress leaders and a company called Young Indian Pvt Ltd, which is accused of fraudulently taking over properties belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of National Herald.
Swamy claims that the Gandhis, who hold 38% shares in Young Indian, conspired to launder money through the fraudulent takeover of properties valued at over Rs 2,000 crore. The ED has linked the case to several properties, including the iconic National Herald House in Delhi, and has attached assets worth Rs 661 crore.
Congress Response and Allegations of Political Vendetta
The Congress has strongly reacted to the chargesheet, with leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using the ED to target the Congress party. He dismissed the investigation as a “conspiracy” to destroy the opposition, asserting that the Congress would continue to fight the allegations.
Chowdhury stated, “This is PM Modi’s conspiracy to destroy the Congress… we are not afraid of the BJP and PM Modi… we will fight this.”
Vadra’s Questioning by the ED
The chargesheet against the Gandhis came shortly after businessman Robert Vadra, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s husband and Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law, was questioned by the ED in relation to money laundering allegations. The investigation pertains to a real estate deal in Haryana in 2008, where Vadra’s company, Skylight Hospitality, purchased land for Rs 7.5 crore, obtained permits for development, and later sold the land to real estate developers DLF for Rs 58 crore.
Vadra, arriving for questioning, dismissed the allegations as “political vendetta” and pointed out that he had spent hours answering questions. He also made a reference to the ED’s actions in the context of political pressures, saying, “Whenever Modi is scared, he calls on the ED.”
