The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday filed a chargesheet against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald money laundering case. Senior Congress figures Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey were also named as accused. The chargesheet, filed earlier this month, is being reviewed by Special Judge Vishal Gogne, who will decide on taking cognisance of the case during the next hearing on April 25.
Congress hit back sharply, terming the development a “state-sponsored crime.” Party leader Jairam Ramesh called it “politics of vendetta,” accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of misusing central agencies. “The INC and its leadership will not be silenced. Satyameva Jayate,” he posted on X.
The case pertains to properties worth over Rs 700 crore linked to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which publishes the National Herald. AJL is owned by Young Indian Pvt. Ltd., in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi each hold a 38% stake. The ED says the action is part of its probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Meanwhile, businessman Robert Vadra, Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law, appeared before the ED in an unrelated land deal probe in Haryana. He accused the government of harassment, claiming repeated summons and politically motivated targeting. “There is nothing in the case,” he said, adding that he’s been questioned over 15 times in the past 20 years. The Congress has maintained that the ED’s actions are timed and targeted, aimed at intimidating the opposition ahead of the 2024 general elections.