New Delhi, April 12: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated the process to take possession of properties linked to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in connection with the National Herald money-laundering case.
On April 11, the ED issued notices to property registrars in Delhi, Mumbai, and Lucknow—cities where the assets of Associated Journals Limited (AJL) are located. The move is part of enforcement actions under Section 8 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, and Rule 5(1) of the related rules.
In a statement, the ED said, “As part of the process to take possession of tainted properties in the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) money laundering case, the Directorate of Enforcement has served notices to registrars in areas where AJL properties are situated.”
A specific notice was also issued to Jindal South West Projects Limited, which currently occupies the 7th, 8th, and 9th floors of Herald House in Bandra (East), Mumbai. The company has been instructed to deposit monthly rent payments directly to the ED.
The agency stated that these properties, collectively valued at ₹661 crore, were provisionally attached following an investigation that uncovered the alleged misuse of proceeds of crime worth ₹988 crore. The attachment order, initially issued on November 20, 2023, was confirmed by the adjudicating authority on April 10, 2024.
Additionally, shares of AJL worth ₹90.2 crore have also been attached.
The National Herald case centers on the acquisition of AJL—publisher of the now-defunct National Herald newspaper—by Young Indian Limited (YIL), a private firm in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi hold major stakes. ED officials allege that YIL acquired AJL's assets—estimated to be worth around ₹2,000 crore—for just ₹50 lakh.
Sources within the ED claim that further investigation revealed the use of these assets to generate additional "proceeds of crime," including ₹18 crore in bogus donations, ₹38 crore in fake advance rent, and ₹29 crore through fraudulent advertising.
While proceedings against the accused have been legally contested, courts have permitted the ED to continue its investigation. The agency has also conducted raids and seized documents reportedly linked to the case.
