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The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Herald case: ED names Congress leaders who 'sought donations' for Young Indian, AJL
Some Congress leaders were among individuals who donated funds to the Young Indian and AJL on instructions from senior party functionaries, as not doing so would have been "damaging" for their political careers and businesses, the ED is learnt to have said in its chargesheet filed in the National Herald case. The chargesheet was filed on April 9 before a local court which is yet to take its cognisance. The ED has named 78-year-old former Congress president and Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi as accused no. 1 and her son Rahul Gandhi (54) as accused no. 2, apart from five others in the prosecution complaint filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The National Herald-AJL-YI case pertains to an alleged conspiracy orchestrated to illegally obtain assets worth ₹2,000 crore of the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) by the "beneficial owners" and majority shareholders of YI (Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi). Also Read | National Herald case a political conspiracy: Kanhaiya Kumar AJL is the publisher of the National Herald news platform (newspaper and web portal) and is owned by Young Indian Private Limited. The federal probe agency, according to sources who spoke to PTI, found in its investigation that some entities made payments to the company "under the influence" from senior leaders of the Congress party who promised them "certain favours" in party politics. The Congress has described the ED's chargesheet against the Gandhis as "vendetta politics". The Opposition party last month claimed that the ED chargesheet was an attempt to divert attention from the economic crisis the country was facing. Those named in the chargesheet for seeking donations for YI include Telangana CM and former PCC president Revanth Reddy, late Ahmed Patel and Pawan Bansal. However, none of these leaders have been named as accused in the chargesheet. There was no immediate reactions from Mr. Reddy and Mr. Bansal. The ED has recorded the statement of a Congress leader named Arvind Vishwanath Singh Chauhan who said he "arranged" Rs 30 lakh donation from his bank account and Rs 20 lakh "in cash" to YI as he "could not refuse" the "request" of Patel as he contested MLA election on the party's ticket. Another person Rajeev Gambhir is understood to have told the ED that he made donations to the YI "on instructions of" Patel and for securing some post for himself in the AICC office apart from a ticket for his son-in-law for 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the Mandi seat of Himachal Pradesh. The ED said Gambhir later wrote letters to Sonia Gandhi for getting his money back as the promises made to him were "not fulfilled" and a 80G certificate to claim I-T benefits on this donation was not provided to him. The ED is understood to have named Telangana CM Reddy (who was Telangana PCC president then), Patel and Bansal as the Congress leaders on whose instructions a number of people made donations to YI between 2019-2022. The agency has said that some of the donors are the members or leaders of the Congress who transferred money to YI on instruction from senior party functionaries as "annoying" them would have been "damaging" for their career in the party. The ED is understood to have stated that payments made to YI cannot be held as donations as they were not made "voluntarily" but in expectation of some betterment for the donors' political career. The ED found that YI received Rs 6.90 crore and Rs 5.05 crore in donations during 2018-19 and 2019-20 fiscals and this money was used to make payment to file an appeal against the demand raised by Income Tax department against it for 2011-12 assessment year (in December, 2017). The ED is also understood to have stated that similar payments in the name of money for advertisements were made to AJL. It found over a dozen entities paid Rs 6.8 crore to AJL on "instructions" of various Congress leaders. The agency has also named former Congress MP from Punjab Ravneet Bittu (now with the BJP and a Union minister) and former MLA Bharat Bhushan Ashu (arrested by the ED some years back), Bharat Inder Singh Chahal, a close associate of former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh who is with the BJP now, and late Congress leader Oscar Fernandes as people who approached individuals to fund advertisements in the National Herald through AJL. The ED said funds in AJL were received by way of "quid pro quo" where people were initially "obliged" by the Congress leaders and subsequently asked to make payments for advertisements.
NDTV
23-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
In National Herald Case, Congress Leaders Who Donated To Young Indian Named
New Delhi: Some Congress leaders were among individuals who donated funds to the Young Indian and AJL on instructions from senior party functionaries as not doing so would have been "damaging" for their political careers and businesses, the Enforcement Directorate is learnt to have said in its chargesheet filed in the National Herald case. The chargesheet was filed on April 9 before a local court which is yet to take its cognisance. The Enforcement Directorate has named 78-year-old former Congress president and Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi as accused no. 1 and her son Rahul Gandhi (54) as accused no. 2, apart from five others in the prosecution complaint filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The National Herald-AJL-YI case pertains to an alleged conspiracy orchestrated to illegally obtain assets worth Rs 2,000 crore of the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) by the "beneficial owners" and majority shareholders of YI (Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi). AJL is the publisher of the National Herald news platform (newspaper and web portal) and is owned by Young Indian Private Limited. The federal probe agency, according to sources who spoke to PTI, found in its investigation that some entities made payment to the company "under the influence" from senior leaders of the Congress party who promised them "certain favours" in party politics. The Congress has described the Enforcement Directorate's chargesheet against the Gandhis as "vendetta politics". The opposition party last month claimed that the Enforcement Directorate chargesheet was an attempt to divert attention from the economic crisis the country was facing. Those named in the chargesheet for seeking donations for YI include Telangana Chief Minister and former PCC president Revanth Reddy, late Ahmed Patel and Pawan Bansal. However, none of these leaders have been named as accused in the chargesheet. There was no immediate reactions from Mr Reddy and Mr Bansal. The Enforcement Directorate has recorded the statement of a Congress leader named Arvind Vishwanath Singh Chauhan who said he "arranged" Rs 30 lakh donation from his bank account and Rs 20 lakh "in cash" to YI as he "could not refuse" the "request" of Patel as he contested MLA election on the party's ticket. Another person Rajeev Gambhir is understood to have told the Enforcement Directorate that he made donations to the YI "on instructions of" Patel and for securing some post for himself in the AICC office apart from a ticket for his son-in-law for 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the Mandi seat of Himachal Pradesh. The Enforcement Directorate said Gambhir later wrote letters to Sonia Gandhi for getting his money back as the promises made to him were "not fulfilled" and a 80G certificate to claim I-T benefits on this donation was not provided to him. The Enforcement Directorate is understood to have named Telangana Chief Minister Reddy (who was Telangana PCC president then), Patel and Bansal as the Congress leaders on whose instructions a number of people made donations to YI between 2019-2022. The agency has said that some of the donors are the members or leaders of the Congress who transferred money to YI on instruction from senior party functionaries as "annoying" them would have been "damaging" for their career in the party. The Enforcement Directorate is understood to have stated that payments made to YI cannot be held as donations as they were not made "voluntarily" but in expectation of some betterment for the donors' political career. The Enforcement Directorate found that YI received Rs 6.90 crore and Rs 5.05 crore in donations during 2018-19 and 2019-20 fiscals and this money was used to make payment to file an appeal against the demand raised by Income Tax department against it for 2011-12 assessment year (in December, 2017). The Enforcement Directorate is also understood to have stated that similar payments in the name of money for advertisements were made to AJL. It found over a dozen entities paid Rs 6.8 crore to AJL on "instructions" of various Congress leaders. The agency has also named former Congress MP from Punjab Ravneet Bittu (now with the BJP and a Union minister) and former MLA Bharat Bhushan Ashu (arrested by the ED some years back), Bharat Inder Singh Chahal, a close associate of former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh who is with the BJP now, and late Congress leader Oscar Fernandes as people who approached individuals to fund advertisements in the National Herald through AJL. The Enforcement Directorate said funds in AJL were received by way of "quid pro quo" where people were initially "obliged" by the Congress leaders and subsequently asked to make payments for advertisements.
The Print
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Sonia Gandhi ‘abused' her position to benefit self, son in AJL takeover: ED
They are understood to have told the agency that all these affairs were taken care of by late Congress leader Motilal Vora as he was 'empowered' to deal with the administrative and financial matters. Both the leaders, sources told PTI quoting the chargesheet, have told the federal probe agency during recording of their statements in this case a few years back that they were 'not aware' about the activities taking place at the YI and the Associated Journals Limited (AJL). New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) Congress leader Sonia Gandhi 'abused' her position as the then AICC president for personal gains to herself and her son Rahul Gandhi by converting public money for self use through the Young Indian (YI) company, the ED is understood to have alleged in its chargesheet filed in the National Herald case. The chargesheet was filed on April 9 and the local court is yet to take its cognisance. The ED has named 78-year-old former Congress president and Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi as accused no 1 and her son Rahul Gandhi (54) as accused no 2, apart from five others in the prosecution complaint filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The National Herald-AJL-YI case pertains to an alleged conspiracy orchestrated to illegally obtain the underlying assets of the AJL by the beneficial owners and majority shareholders of YI (Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi). AJL is the publisher of the National Herald news platform (newspaper and web portal) and is owned by Young Indian Private Limited. The chargesheet is understood to have alleged that Sonia Gandhi 'abused' her position as the then AICC President (2010-11) for 'personal gain' of herself and her son Rahul Gandhi by 'fraudulent' takeover of AJL by YI. The ED has alleged that this 'sham' transaction could not have been executed without her knowledge and active participation, being the President of the AICC and in-charge of affairs, according to sources who are in the know. On Rahul Gandhi, the ED chargesheet is understood to have alleged that he along with other accused 'cheated' the shareholders of AJL and donors of AICC. He was 'knowingly' a party and/or actually involved in the process and activity connected with the proceeds of crime including acquisition, possession, concealment and using the proceeds of crime that are worth Rs 988 crore in this case, it is alleged. The Congress has described the ED's chargesheet against the Gandhis as vendetta politics. The opposition party had claimed last month that the ED chargesheet was an attempt to divert attention from the economic crisis the country was facing. It said the case was nothing but political vendetta in legal disguise. The ED is stated to have said that its probe found that office bearers of all AICC, AJL and YI 'failed' to provide to it any documentary evidence regarding AJL's revival and instead attempted to put the onus of these activities on a deceased person (Vora). This includes the statement of the current president, Mallikarjun Kharge, who said all decisions regarding AJL and YI were taken by the late leader. The agency claimed these statements, including by the Gandhis, of putting the onus on Vora were 'nothing but an attempt to mislead and divert the investigation'. Rahul Gandhi is understood to have informed the ED that he was never associated 'in any way' with AJL and that neither was he a shareholder nor a director. He told the ED that AJL's revival was testimony to the good work done by Vora in fulfilling his 'constitutional duty' of reviving an institution of national importance. The agency, the sources said, is understood to have said in its chargesheet that some senior Congress leaders, who were office bearers in YI under the 'patronage' of the two Gandhis, 'influenced' various people, including some party leaders, to arrange funds for YI in the 'guise' of donations. These funds were sought 'in lieu of' 'favours' promised to them and in exchange of cash from the AICC office, the ED is stated to have said. The ED is also understood to have said in the chargesheet that family members and relatives of some of the donors either contested elections on Congress tickets or they were promised 'some positions' in the political hierarchy. The chargesheet mentions, as per the sources, that investigations into the case led to 'one single' conclusion that the flow of funds in AJL and YI could not have taken place without the 'active assistance' and 'instructions' from senior Congress leaders and members of the Gandhi family. According to the sources, the chargesheet claimed that the assignment of the loan to YI by AICC was nothing but a 'sham' transaction executed to give ownership of the assets of AJL worth hundreds of crores of rupees to YI for a 'paltry' sum of Rs 50 lakh by making YI the holding company of AJL. For this, the sources said, the co-conspirators were 'strategically' placed in all three entities (AICC-AJL-YI) that initiated the process. The ED appended various statements of donors, including that of Amit Deshmukh, son of late Congress leader and former Maharashtra CM Vilasrao Deshmukh, where he said that his sugar company gave two advertisements worth Rs 18 lakh to National Herald on the directions of Vora. One advertisement out of this was meant for the AICC plenary session that was to be held in 2018 in Delhi (Rs 12 lakh) and the other to convey birthday wishes to Sonia Gandhi in the same year (Rs 6 lakh). The ED also said that a crucial decision of vesting 99 per cent shareholding of AJL with YI was taken by only seven members out of the total 1,089 shareholders in January 2011, and no 'reasonable efforts' were made to call a majority of shareholders of AJL for the extraordinary general meeting (EGM). PTI NES RT RT RT This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Senior Congress leaders ‘conspired' to ‘usurp' properties worth Rs 2,000 crore: ED in National Herald money laundering case
Senior leaders of the Indian National Congress 'conspired' to 'usurp' properties worth Rs 2,000 crore, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has submitted before a Delhi court. These allegations are part of the chargesheet filed on April 9 by the central agency in the National Herald money laundering case in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have been named as accused, sources said. Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), which used to publish the National Herald newspaper, had real estate properties worth Rs 2,000 crore, which the Congress wanted to acquire fraudulently, the ED has alleged, sources said. The ED has pegged the current market value of the assets linked to the case at Rs 5,000 crore. According to sources, as per the ED, the party provided an interest-free loan to AJL worth Rs 90.21 crore under the consideration of just Rs 50 lakh. This loan was reportedly converted into equity in favour of the not-for-profit company Young Indian (YI) in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi held a 38 per cent stake each. The loan, the ED said, as per sources, was converted into 9.02 crore shares of Rs 10 each in favour of YI, which was incorporated in 2010. In 2008, AJL had stopped the publication of National Herald and other associated newspapers. A 'criminal conspiracy was hatched' by the accused (Sonia, Rahul and others) to give control of properties worth hundreds of crores of AJL to the beneficial owners of YI, the ED has alleged, as per sources. It is learnt that the ED has stated that the Congress has failed to explain how the loan owed to AJL was determined to be 'irrecoverable', and why the party did not explore options (other than acquiring shares of the company) to recover the loan. The central agency also reportedly questioned why the then newly incorporated YI was chosen to give a loan of Rs 90 crore to AJL, which had real estate assets worth crores of rupees. How the value of Rs 50 lakh was arrived at for the loan of Rs 90.21 crore could also not be explained as per the agency, sources said. Sources said that the ED alleged that various shareholders had given Rs 89 lakh to AJL at a time when the value of the currency was many times more than its present value. Had this alleged fraud of acquiring AJL not been committed, shareholders would have received several thousand times what they had initially invested, the ED claimed, sources added. YI has also been accused of various other irregularities. In 2017, for instance, the income tax department had accused YI of evading tax worth Rs 414 crore. The ED, on the other hand, alleged that AJL received donations worth Rs 18 crore that were not genuine and that it also received a 'bogus' rent of Rs 38.41 crore in 2017-18. On top of this, sources said, as per the ED, the firm also received Rs 15.86 crore as revenue from the Congress party as ads in the form of 'birthday wishes and congratulatory messages' to Congress leaders. According to the ED's estimates, the total proceeds of crime in this case are Rs 988 crore, said sources. Of these, rent allegedly amounts to Rs 142.6 crore, shares of AJL with YI are worth Rs 90 crore, and immovable properties account for Rs 755 crore. As per its chargesheet, YI had the same set of people appointed as AJL. The loan was assigned by the same set of people who held positions in the two entities, it is learnt. Earlier in April, the ED had served notices to take possession of immovable assets worth Rs 661 crore — in Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow — that it had attached as part of the money laundering probe against AJL and YI. Both Sonia and Rahul were questioned in 2022 as part of the probe. Other than the firms and the Gandhis, the ED has also named Congress leaders Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda as accused in this case. Firms M/s Young India, and M/s Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd have also been named. The case initially originated from a criminal complaint filed by then BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy in 2012 against the Gandhis and other leaders of the Congress party. He accused them of fraud in acquiring the property of AJL. After a trial court order allowed the income tax department to probe the affairs of National Herald and conduct a tax assessment of Sonia and Rahul, the ED got involved in the case. On Wednesday, the ED, represented by Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, Special Counsel Zoheb Hossain and Special Public Prosecutor N K Matta, made preliminary submissions before Special Judge Vishal Gogne of Rouse Avenue Court, who is hearing the case. The judge listed the matter for hearing on a day-to-day basis on July 2, and arguments on cognizance of the chargesheet will continue.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Yahoo
Who knew you could get a high-quality, easy-to-use security cam for just $17?
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