The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has accused Sonia and Rahul Gandhi of conspiring to take control of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), owner of National Herald, using their company Young Indian—and turning a ₹90 crore loan into a takeover of ₹2,000 crore in assets. The fresh charges, presented before Special Judge Vishal Gogne on July 2, allege the duo orchestrated a sophisticated plan involving shell entities, loan conversion, and share transfers to gain ownership under questionable terms.
Allegation of Criminal Conspiracy
Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju told the court that the Gandhis set up Young Indian Private Limited—where they together hold 76%—to “usurp” AJL’s assets against a ₹90 crore loan granted by the All India Congress Committee. He accused them of orchestrating this arrangement to transfer real estate and media assets worth ₹2,000 crore for a fraction of their value. Within six days of Rahul’s directorship, Young Indian pressed AJL to convert the loan into equity or repay it. Raju said this scheme effectively handed over high-value assets in exchange for a nominal sum
Proceeds of Crime and Asset Conversion
The ED further alleged that until November 2023, the Gandhis benefited from ₹142 crore identified as proceeds of crime, with linked properties valued at ₹752 crore already provisionally attached
These properties span Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Indore, Patna, and Chandigarh. The agency has invoked sections under the PMLA related to money laundering and corporate offences—arguing that common sense would see such valuable assets either sold or leveraged correctly rather than handed over for less than 5% of their market value
Political Context and Rebuttals
The chargesheet names Sonia and Rahul as accused Nos. 1 and 2, along with Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, Sunil Bhandari, Young Indian, and Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd
The Gandhis’ lawyers argue that setting up Young Indian was part of preserving a legacy media brand, not a tactic for illicit enrichment. Congress leaders have dismissed the case as political vendetta, citing lack of criminal intent and selective targeting
Court Proceedings and Next Steps
Special Judge Vishal Gogne is conducting daily hearings from July 2 through July 8 to determine whether to take cognisance of the charges
The ED’s position is firm: this is more than an asset dispute—it involves alleged laundering, misuse of a political loan, and transfer of public-value newspaper property at negligible cost.
This marks a significant progression in the long-running National Herald case, highlighting the intersection of legal scrutiny and politics as the court carefully examines claims of criminal intent, financial irregularity, and misuse of institutional authority.
