Sonia, Rahul booked in National Herald case
New Delhi: With the Delhi police filing an FIR against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case, the Congress on Sunday alleged that the “Modi-Shah duo” is continuing with its mischievous politics of harassment, intimidation, and vendetta against the party’s top leadership.
Condemning the action, the Opposition party also said the National Herald matter is a “completely bogus case” and justice will ultimately triumph.
BJP dismissed as “baseless” the Congress’ allegation of “vendetta politics”, and asked Congress leaders to give an account of the “loot” they allegedly committed instead of giving speeches.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh charged, “The Modi-Shah duo is continuing with its mischievous politics of harassment, intimidation, and vendetta against the top leadership of the INC. Those who threaten are themselves insecure and afraid.”
“The National Herald matter is a completely bogus case. Justice will ultimately triumph. Satyameva Jayate,” he said.
Congress spokesperson and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said in a post on X that the FIR was “neither wine new nor bottle new nor glasses new”.
“One trick wonder of a case where no money moved, where no immovable property transferred yet money laundering invented upon creation of Young Indian as a not for profit co to merely hold shares of AJL which in turn runs and holds brand NH and continues to hold all property as before & as always. Condition precedent of ML (money laundering) movement of money and conversion of unaccounted to white money always absent, yet we have politically malicious proceedings continuing,” he said on X.
“Ironically, Gandhis and other Congress functionaries as directors of YI cannot get dividends, cannot distribute profits, get not one perk, yet accused of ML!! Current FIR created by adding few lines are infusion of money by private company to enable payment of assignment money by YI to make AJL debt free,” Singhvi said.
His remarks came after the Delhi police filed the FIR against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and other accused in the National Herald case on a complaint by the ED as part of the agency’s money laundering probe into the high-profile case that alleges that the first family of the party “abused” their position for personal gains.
Official sources and documents said the economic offences wing (EOW) of the police filed a complaint against the Gandhis and seven others on October 3.
The police have pressed charges under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property), 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) of the IPC in the FIR that names the Gandhis, Congress leaders Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda, entities like the Young Indian (YI) and Dotex Merchandise Ltd, Dotex promoter Sunil Bhandari, Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) and unknown others.
These entities are also named as an accused (except unknown others) in the ED chargesheet filed before a Delhi court in April. The court is yet to take its cognisance with the next date of hearing scheduled for December 16.
The ED, according to the sources, used powers available to it under section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to get the police FIR registered.
