SRINAGAR: Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing has registered a fresh FIR against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case, after receiving a complaint routed through the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Deccan Herald reported.
The FIR, filed on October 3, intensifies the longstanding political and legal dispute surrounding the newspaper’s finances and the alleged takeover of its parent company.
The case names six accused, including the two Congress leaders, and alleges a criminal conspiracy to fraudulently obtain control of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of the now-defunct National Herald. Also listed are Sam Pitroda, three other individuals, and three companies—Associated Journals Limited, Young Indian, and Dotex Merchandise Private Limited.
According to investigators, Young Indian assumed control of AJL through a series of questionable financial transactions, including a payment of Rs 50 lakh to the Congress party, despite AJL’s assets reportedly being valued at nearly Rs 2,000 crore. A transfer of Rs 1 crore from Dotex, previously described as a shell entity in earlier probes, is alleged to have been instrumental in facilitating the acquisition.
The FIR states that these transactions were designed to unlawfully transfer AJL’s extensive property holdings in several prime locations into the hands of Young Indian.
