NEW DELHI: Enforcement Directorate on Saturday said it has started proceedings to take possession of more than Rs 700 crore worth of properties of Associate Journals Ltd (AJL), controlled by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. AJL owned Congress mouthpiece National Herald and associated publications.
AJL properties, in prime locations in Lucknow, Mumbai and Delhi, including Herald House on BSZ Marg in New Delhi, were long ago attached by ED in its ongoing laundering probe against AJL and the Gandhis. ED has also served notices to corporate houses running offices from some of these premises, asking them to deposit rent to ED.
ED, in its statement, said, “Investigation has conclusively revealed Young Indian, a private company beneficially owned by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, acquired AJL’s properties worth Rs 2,000 crore for a mere Rs 50 lakh, significantly undervaluing its worth.”
The agency further said that its findings also indicated that “Young Indian and AJL’s properties were used for generation of proceeds of crime in the form of bogus donations of Rs 18 crore, bogus advance rent of Rs 38 crore and bogus advertisements of Rs 29 crore.”
It added, “Therefore, to stop the further generation, utilisation and enjoyment of the proceeds of crime and in compliance with Section 8 of PMLA (taking possession of attached properties), the directorate has initiated the proceedings to take possession of the tainted properties.
The agency has affixed notices on the properties. One of the notices has been served on Jindal South-West Projects Ltd, occupying three floors of the Herald House in Bandra (E), Mumbai, to transfer the rent every month to the ED.
“These properties were attached after extensive investigation by ED which revealed generation, possession and use of proceeds of crime of Rs 988 crore. Therefore, to secure the proceeds of crime and to prevent the accused from dissipating the same, the immovable properties of AJL located at Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow valued at Rs 661 cr-ore along-with the shares of AJL valued at Rs 90.2 crore were attached (on Nov 20, 2023),” the agency said.
The fresh action of taking possession of all properties of AJL, once controlled by Congress, comes after ED had questioned all parties related to the case, including Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul and former Congress treasurer late Motilal Vora.
ED said it began investigating the case in 2021 after the Metropolitan Magistrate of Patiala House courts in New Delhi took cognizance of a private complaint filed by Subramanian Swamy on June 26, 2014. “The complaint alleged criminal conspiracy by several prominent political figures, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, late Motilal Vohra, late Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda and a private company Young Indian for alleged involvement in a money laundering scheme related to the fraudulent takeover of properties valued over Rs 2,000 crore belonging to AJL,” ED said. “The legal proceedings against the accused have faced challenges but have been upheld by both the Delhi high court and the Supreme Court, allowing the investigation to proceed,” the agency added.
