New Delhi. Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi have issued notice to Delhi in the National Herald Money Laundering case. Sonia and Rahul are also named in the ED charge sheet. The court says that it is necessary to know the side of the accused before taking cognizance of the charge sheet. Special Judge Vishal Gogane has also issued notice to Indian Overseas Congress President Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, Sunil Bhandari, Messrs Young Indian and Messrs Dotex Merchandise Private Limited. The ED has also made all these accused.
The court has fixed May 8 for the next hearing of the case. Former Union Minister Subramanian Swamy lodged a complaint in the case. For the first time a charge sheet has been filed against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in a case. ED has also questioned Sonia and Rahul in the matter. In fact, the National Herald has been published by AJL and AJL is owned by Young Indian Private Limited. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have 38-38 percent shares. These are its most share holders.
Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others are accused of paying only 50 lakhs and transferred to AJL’s 2000 crore rupees to Young Indian. Taking action in this case by the ED, assets worth about Rs 751.9 crore of Associated Journals Limited and Young Indian Company have been seized. The properties that ED have seized are located on ITO in Delhi, Bandra in Mumbai and Bisheshwar Nath Road in Lucknow. The ED issued a notice on 12 April to attach these properties.