In a major development ahead of the upcoming elections, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday filed its first-ever chargesheet against senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Sam Pitroda in connection with the alleged National Herald money laundering case. A special court in Delhi has scheduled April 25 to consider the matter for cognisance.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne directed the ED’s Special Counsel and Investigating Officer to present the case diaries for court scrutiny at the next hearing. The charges stem from the ED’s ongoing probe into the alleged fraudulent acquisition of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which owns the National Herald newspaper, by Young Indian Pvt Ltd—a company where Sonia and Rahul Gandhi each hold a 38% stake.

The chargesheet comes days after the ED issued notices for possession of immovable properties worth ?661 crore, previously attached in November 2023. These include the iconic National Herald House in Delhi, properties in Mumbai’s Bandra area, and AJL’s office in Lucknow.

The investigation began in 2021, following a 2014 order from a Delhi court acting on a complaint by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, who alleged a criminal conspiracy to illegally acquire AJL’s real estate assets valued at over ?2,000 crore.

Adding to the political storm, businessman Robert Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, was also questioned Tuesday by the ED in a separate money laundering probe linked to a controversial land deal in Haryana. Vadra, who called the move “political vendetta,” said he has consistently cooperated with authorities.

Congress leaders continue to allege misuse of central agencies to target opposition figures, a claim the BJP denies. As the legal battle intensifies, the political stakes in the lead-up to the general elections have risen significantly.

In a major development ahead of the upcoming elections, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday filed its first-ever chargesheet against senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Sam Pitroda in connection with the alleged National Herald money laundering case. A special court in Delhi has scheduled April 25 to consider the matter for cognisance.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne directed the ED’s Special Counsel and Investigating Officer to present the case diaries for court scrutiny at the next hearing. The charges stem from the ED’s ongoing probe into the alleged fraudulent acquisition of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which owns the National Herald newspaper, by Young Indian Pvt Ltd—a company where Sonia and Rahul Gandhi each hold a 38% stake.

The chargesheet comes days after the ED issued notices for possession of immovable properties worth ?661 crore, previously attached in November 2023. These include the iconic National Herald House in Delhi, properties in Mumbai’s Bandra area, and AJL’s office in Lucknow.

The investigation began in 2021, following a 2014 order from a Delhi court acting on a complaint by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, who alleged a criminal conspiracy to illegally acquire AJL’s real estate assets valued at over ?2,000 crore.

Adding to the political storm, businessman Robert Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, was also questioned Tuesday by the ED in a separate money laundering probe linked to a controversial land deal in Haryana. Vadra, who called the move “political vendetta,” said he has consistently cooperated with authorities.

Congress leaders continue to allege misuse of central agencies to target opposition figures, a claim the BJP denies. As the legal battle intensifies, the political stakes in the lead-up to the general elections have risen significantly.