New Delhi: Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court has sought clarification from ED’s lawyer on taking cognizance of ED’s complaint in the case related to National Herald. Special Judge Vishal Gogane has sought clarification from ED while inspecting the documents presented in the court. The next hearing of this case will now be on August 26. The court had examined the documents on August 18 in the presence of ED Assistant Director Shiv Kumar Gupta.
Earlier on August 7, the court had asked the investigating officer what Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have to do with this case. Earlier, the court had reserved the decision on July 14. During the hearing in the case, ED had said that people who donated to the Congress party were cheated. Some donors were also given tickets. Raju opposed the argument of the Gandhi family that they had no control over Associated Journals Limited (AJL). He said that AJL was originally the publisher of National Herald.
In this case, on July 5, senior advocate RS Cheema, who appeared on behalf of opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha, had said that Congress did not try to sell AJL but wanted to save this institution because it was a part of the freedom movement. Cheema had asked why ED is not showing the Memorandum of Association of AJL. AJL was founded by Jawaharlal Nehru, JB Kriplani, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai and other Congress leaders in 1937. Cheema had said that AJL’s Memorandum of Association states that all its policies will be of Congress.
Let us tell you that on July 4, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who appeared on behalf of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, had said that ED had made a surprising and unexpected case. He had said that ED has made a case that is more than surprising. This is a case of money laundering in which there is no mention of property. Singhvi had said that Young Indian took the entire action to make Associated General Limited debt free. He had said that every company takes steps according to the law to make itself debt free. Companies give their assets to another company to make themselves debt free. He had said that Young Indian is not a profit making company. Singhvi had said that ED did nothing for years and started action on the basis of some personal complaint.
ED completed arguments: Arguments were completed on behalf of ED on July 3. ASG SV Raju, appearing on behalf of ED, had said that Young Indian was a means of obtaining criminal income of Rs 2000 crore and it is a classic case of money laundering. Raju had said that the shareholding is just for name and the other accused are puppets of the Gandhi family.
ED made serious allegations against the Gandhi family: ED had said that Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi control the Congress, their aim was not to get 92 crores, but their aim was to get two thousand crores. ED had said that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi paid only Rs 50 lakh for property worth Rs 2000 crore. ED had said that after taking ownership of Associated Generals Limited, Young Indian Limited controlled by Gandhi family announced that it will not publish National Herald newspaper.
Court had issued notice on May 2: Court had issued notice to seven accused including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi in this case on May 2. ED had filed prosecution complaint in court on April 15. ED has made Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Sam Pitroda accused in this case. ED has filed complaint under section 44 and 45 of Money Laundering Act.
In this case, complainant Subramanian Swamy has alleged that Young Indian Limited was given rights over AJL’s property as part of a conspiracy to take over the Rs 1600 crore Herald House building located on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg in Delhi. Swamy says that the Central Government had given land to Herald House to run a newspaper, hence it cannot be used for commercial purposes.
