'AICC tried to revive AJL': Rahul Gandhi's counsel in Herald case
NEW DELHI: All India Congress Committee (AICC) was not trying to sell assets of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the company which published National Herald newspaper, but rather trying to save the institution that was a part of the freedom movement, senior advocate R S Cheema, representing
Rahul Gandhi
, told a Delhi court Saturday. Cheema made his submissions before the court of special judge Vishal Gogne, which is hearing arguments on the point of cognisance of the chargesheet filed against
Sonia Gandhi
, Rahul and others in National Herald money laundering case.
"In post-Independence period, it (AJL) was never a commercial institution. We (AICC) were trying to retrieve an institution which is part of the freedom movement heritage. The problem was not recovering the loan (given to AJL) but to revive it, to see that it comes back on the rails. AICC was not looking for profit from sales. This is a squinted version," Cheema said.
According to ED, Sonia and Rahul, along with others and a private company, Young Indian Pvt Ltd, conspired to launder money by fraudulently usurping AJL's properties valued at over Rs 2,000 crore in exchange for a loan of Rs 90 crore.
Cheema said ED's allegations were "crude lies".
The senior advocate said ED made unwarranted inferences against Rahul by wrongly assuming that he was the person in-charge of AICC's affairs as its general secretary in 2010. According to the party constitution, AICC has several general secretaries at a point in time, and no one of them could be in-charge of its affairs, Cheema pointed out. The counsel further stated Sonia, then Congress president, was wrongly inferred as person in-charge of AICC when the loan was assigned to AJL.
The arguments will continue against other accused, including Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda, Sunil Bhandari, Young Indian and Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd, on Monday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
29 minutes ago
- News18
ChatGPT Plus And Gemini AI Pro Cost The Same In India: Which One Should You Buy?
Last Updated: ChatGPT and Gemini premium plans cost over Rs 1,900 per month in India but how do they compare and which one is better? ChatGPT Plus and Gemini AI Pro are two paid versions of the popular AI chatbots from OpenAI and Google, respectively. The companies have invested billions into their AI products and now looking to recoup some of that money from its consumers. And the best way to do that is to offer a package of the AI chatbots that not only unlocks the latest AI models but also bundles them with a slew of services which makes it attractive for the money people are being asked to pay. ChatGPT Plus costs Rs 1,900 per month in India, while the Gemini AI Pro version comes for Rs 1,950 per month, which makes them similar in terms of the price range. But do they offer the same set of features or does OpenAI have more in the bank than a giant like Google? We've decided to do this comparison and help you out with the details. ChatGPT Plus vs Gemini AI Pro Price In India ChatGPT Plus is priced at Rs 1,900 which has to be paid every month. Google is charging Rs 1,950 per month for the Gemini AI Pro plan in India. Earlier it used to be called the Gemini Advanced plan. Besides these you also get support for voice conversations, image generation (using DALL-E), File uploads and analysis, Deep Research tools (where available) and Custom GPT creation. People have been appealed by these features because their other options were limited. But Google Gemini AI Pro takes the Plus model head on and delivers a more compelling set of benefits. Here's what you get from Google: And recently, Google announced that the Veo 3 AI model let you generate 10 videos with native audio support if you take the Gemini AI Pro plan. Granted, both these AI chatbot plans have certain limits but that is expected when you pay under Rs 2,000 per month to access the latest and powerful AI models from these companies. And that's why they have another premium tier plan called the ChatGPT Pro and the Gemini Ultra that gives you all the Plus/Pro features but opens up the AI models to a whole new playground for the users. First Published:
India.com
29 minutes ago
- India.com
Meet Man Who Built India's Largest Airport: Owns Majority Stake In IPLs Delhi Capitals And Built Rs 73,575-Crore Firm—His Net Worth Is...
photoDetails english 2927457 GM Rao Success Story: Once a boy from a small town in Andhra Pradesh, GM Rao dreamt big during India's economic liberalisation. With determination and grit, he transformed his vision into reality, emerging as one of India's foremost infrastructure pioneers. Today, GM Rao leads the GMR Group, a global infrastructure giant with ventures in energy, transport, and airports. A mechanical engineer by education, he is now a billionaire industrialist and the Founder Chairman of the group. GMR is among India's top two private airport operators alongside the Adani Group. With projects spanning India, the Philippines, and Greece, GM Rao's story isn't just one of business success—it's a testament to the power of vision, resilience, and building a legacy that touches lives across continents. Updated:Jul 06, 2025, 02:38 PM IST GM Rao Humble Beginnings to Serial Entrepreneurship 1 / 8 GM Rao hails from a small town in Andhra Pradesh and started his business journey in 1978 with a single jute mill. Over the years, he explored 28 different ventures before India's liberalisation. India's 'Airport Tycoon' Built the Country's Largest Airport 2 / 8 GM Rao controls GMR Airports Infrastructure, a listed company with a market cap of Rs 73,575 crore. The group operates airports such as Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, and Manohar International Airport in Goa. Notably, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad is India's largest airport by area, spanning 5,500 acres. GMR School Of Aviation 3 / 8 In January 2024, GMR Group launched the GMR School of Aviation in Hyderabad in collaboration with Airbus, aiming to build skilled aviation professionals in India. IPL Stakeholder 4 / 8 Citing Forbes, Rao owns a 50% stake in Delhi Capitals, the IPL franchise, showcasing his deep interests beyond infrastructure. GM Rao Net Worth 5 / 8 In 2024, GM Rao returned to the Forbes India Rich List with a net worth of $3.99 billion (Rs 33,346.5 crore), securing the 78th spot among India's richest. GMR Group's Portfolio 6 / 8 GMR Group's portfolio includes GMR Airports, GMR Energy, GMR Infrastructure, and GMR Enterprises, generating Rs 8,364 crore in annual revenue. GMR Group: Massive Expansion Plans 7 / 8 The group is developing a 2,101-acre Special Investment Region (SIR) in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, and setting up 50 EV charging facilities. GMR Group: Backed by Global Investors 8 / 8 In October 2023, GMR secured Rs 6,300 crore in debt funding from Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), reinforcing global investor confidence in Rao's vision.
Time of India
44 minutes ago
- Time of India
Road built, damaged, rebuilt, damaged again; 10 times in 12 days; 2 engineers suspended in Gwalior
BHOPAL: Two executive engineers were suspended for negligence following the repeated collapse of the newly constructed Chetakpuri (Mahal) Road in Gwalior. The road, built at a cost of Rs 4.09 crore, has collapsed as many as 10 times within 12 days, raising concerns about construction quality. While the engineers were suspended for poor supervision, no action has been taken against the company responsible for the construction, sources say. GMC has paid Rs 2 crore to the company for related storm water drainage work. Experts attribute the repeated collapses to three main issues: use of clay instead of gravel for filling trenches, inadequate compaction, and the absence of vibrating roller technology required for proper soil compaction. AAP workers led by district president Amitabh Pandey staged protest and were later detained by the police.
