The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday formally filed a chargesheet against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Sam Pitroda in the high-profile National Herald money laundering case, marking a major development in the years-long political and legal saga. This is the first time that both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have been formally named in an ED prosecution complaint.
A special court, presided over by Judge Vishal Gogne, has scheduled April 25 for the next hearing to consider the cognisance of the chargesheet. The court also instructed the ED’s special counsel and investigating officers to present case diaries for examination.
ED’s Chargesheet Names Congress Heavyweights, Private Firm Young Indian
The case, originally initiated from a 2014 complaint by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, accuses Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others of engaging in a criminal conspiracy and money laundering scheme. According to the ED, the Congress leadership used Young Indian Pvt Ltd to fraudulently acquire real estate assets from Associated Journals Limited (AJL), valued at over ₹2,000 crore.
ALSO READ: ED begins process to seize Rahul, Sonia Gandhi properties in National Herald case
Both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are reported to hold 38% stake each in Young Indian, which controls AJL, the publisher of the historic National Herald newspaper. The ED had earlier attached immovable assets worth ₹661 crore linked to this case, including the iconic National Herald House on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg in Delhi, as well as properties in Mumbai’s Bandra and Lucknow’s Bisheshwar Nath Road.
The Political Storm Around Robert Vadra
In a separate but politically charged twist, the chargesheet was filed hours after the questioning of Robert Vadra, businessman and husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Vadra was interrogated by the ED over a real estate deal in Haryana involving his company Skylight Hospitality.
Vadra, arriving at the ED office amid chanting supporters, denounced the case as “political vendetta”, saying, “Whenever Modi is scared, he calls on the ED.”
ALSO READ: Robert Vadra calls ED summons in Haryana land deal case a ‘witch hunt’ and ‘political vendetta’
Vadra is accused of purchasing land in Haryana for ₹7.5 crore in 2008 and later selling it to DLF for ₹58 crore after receiving permits to develop the property — a transaction that has long fueled allegations of political favoritism during the Congress-led Haryana government under Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Both Hooda and the Congress party have denied any wrongdoing.
Congress Slams ‘Political Targeting’ Ahead of Elections
The Congress party has consistently accused the Narendra Modi government of misusing federal investigative agencies like the ED to “settle political scores” and “target opposition leaders” — especially ahead of election cycles. Tuesday’s developments have only reignited that accusation, with party leaders calling the timing of the chargesheet suspicious.
This case is one of several high-profile probes in which senior Congress leaders, including the Gandhi family, are under investigation, adding to the already charged political climate as India heads deeper into election season.
The next court hearing on April 25 will determine whether formal trial proceedings will commence. Legal experts suggest the case could significantly influence not just the Congress party’s public image but also the broader narrative around political corruption and alleged misuse of central agencies in India.
