
ED charges totally strange & unprecedented, Sonia tells court in National Herald case
'This is truly a strange case. More than strange. Unprecedented. This is an alleged case of money laundering, without any property, without use or projection of property. There was not an inch of property moved from Associated Journals Limited (AJL) to Young Indian. No Congress leader gets any property or money. Yet this is called money laundering,' Singhvi argued.
The ED has alleged that top Congress leaders conspired to fraudulently acquire assets worth over Rs 2,000 crore belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of the National Herald, through a not-for-profit entity, Young Indian.

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Time of India
10 minutes ago
- Time of India
'AICC tried to revive AJL': Rahul Gandhi's counsel in Herald case
Rahul Gandhi (File photo) 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.


Time of India
15 minutes ago
- Time of India
Davanagere youth ends life after losing Rs 18 lakh in betting
Davanagere: A 25-year-old printing press worker, Shashikumar Ritti from Saraswathi Nagar in Davanagere, took his own life on July 3 after suffering losses of Rs 18 lakh through an online gambling application. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now SP Uma Prashant confirmed this as the district's first such incident. His initial Rs 500 wager escalated to Rs 5,000, culminating in a deceptive display of Rs 19 crore winnings. KTJ Nagar police reported he died by hanging after failing to withdraw the funds. He previously filed a complaint at CEN police station in Davanagere on May 14, 2025. After authorities failed to trace the suspects, he made several visits to check progress and expressed his disappointment through social media, seeking attention from senior officials. The family, including his parents and brother, are facing significant hardship following his death, as Shashikumar was the primary breadwinner who supported their daily needs. His parents feel bereft following his passing. Before his death, Shashikumar wrote to MP Prabha Mallikarjun and the judiciary members. His letter detailed widespread fraud through online betting applications, mentioning numerous victims and insufficient action against offenders. In his final note, Shashikumar Ritti called for banning betting applications to prevent future tragedies. He addressed his concerns about deceptive betting practices to the district collector, the judiciary, and MP Prabha Mallikarjun. His last selfie videos have appeared on social media. The victim, who worked at a printing press, began using betting applications last year through a mobile link. Early wins encouraged further participation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Despite the application showing large winnings, he could not withdraw the money. Regular pressure from private lenders contributed to his decision to end his life. SP Uma Prashant confirmed recovering the death note from Shashikumar, noting it did not identify the fraudulent application. Police have seized his mobile phone for investigation and continue raising public awareness about online gambling risks. This represents the district's first documented case. "We urge youth to avoid quick-money schemes and focus on legitimate work, cautioning against trusting applications promising large returns," the SP advised.


Time of India
15 minutes ago
- Time of India
Robbery at bizman's house: 6 held, jewellery recovered
1 2 Kanpur: Police have solved a theft case involving Rs 70 lakh at a mobile businessman's house in the Chakeri area of the city. Six people were arrested, three of whom were accomplices. Among them are an assistant branch head from a private gold loan company and two jewellery traders. Ankur Dixit, a mobile accessories businessman residing in Ramapuram, with his family visited Chitrakoot and Maihar Devi on the morning of June 28. On June 29 night, thieves arrived in a car, broke the main lock of the gate, and stole jewellery worth around Rs 70 lakh and Rs 35,000 in cash. The police reviewed camera footage and traced the four-wheeler of the thieves. Based on the car number, the police arrested Hari Om from Katra, Auraiya, currently residing in the city's Cantt Irrigation Department Colony, Himanshu Gautam from Barra, Rohan Sachan from Karrahi, Rohit Dubey from Merapur Kokapur village in Farrukhabad (assistant branch head in a private gold loan company in Kanpur), jeweller Sanjay Soni from Ganga Ghat Gandhi Nagar in Unnao, and jeweller Nimish Gupta from Shivala Bazaar near the PAC bypass in Chakeri Shyamnagar. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like How to Trade ETH/USD Without Holding Ether IC Markets Learn More Undo However, one accused, Shivam Rajput from Hanumant Vihar Bhim Nagar Kacchi Basti, is in custody and is being interrogated. Shivam is also wanted in a theft case at the Gujaini police station. Rohit, the assistant branch manager at the private gold loan company, took a loan of Rs five lakh by keeping some stolen jewellery through his acquaintance Hari Om. Additionally, about 160 grams of jewellery were melted down by jewellers Sanjay Soni and Nimish. Stolen jewellery, gold biscuits, and Rs 2.61 lakh were recovered. DCP (East) Satyajeet Gupta said that a theft occurred on the night of June 28th/29th in the Chakeri police station area under Shyam Nagar outpost. The family discovered the incident upon returning home and subsequently informed the police. The thieves had stolen jewellery worth approximately Rs 50-60 lakh from the house. A case was registered based on the complaint lodged by businessman Ankur. With the help of the surveillance team, Operational Trinetra, and cameras installed by the municipal corporation, the police arrested Hari Om, Himanshu Gupta, Rohan Sachan, Rohit Dubey, Sanjay Soni, and Nimish Gupta. "Questioning of one other suspect, Shivam Rajput, is underway," the DCP added.