Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Friday issued notices to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others named in a chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the National Herald money laundering case. The court has fixed May 8, 2025, as the next date of hearing.While issuing the notice, the court observed that the accused have the “right to be heard” at the time of cognisance of the chargesheet. The judge emphasised that such a right is critical to ensuring a fair trial and due legal process, reinforcing the need for the notice before proceeding further.
The National Herald case pertains to the alleged transfer of Rs 90 crore from the Indian National Congress to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the publisher of the now-defunct National Herald newspaper. The ownership of AJL was later shifted to Young Indian, a private firm, for a mere Rs 50 lakh. It is alleged that through this transaction, properties and assets worth over Rs 2,000 crore were effectively transferred without proper valuation or transparency.
The Enforcement Directorate filed its prosecution complaint against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda, and others on April 15, 2025. The chargesheet is based on a 2017 Income Tax assessment, which the ED claims reveals a “criminal conspiracy” involving members of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), AJL, and Young Indian.
The ED alleges that the aim was to take control of AJL’s valuable assets through Young Indian, thereby misappropriating public funds and assets held in trust for journalistic purposes.
The case will be heard next on May 8, when the court will consider cognisance of the chargesheet.
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