ED raids on 12 locations including National Herald office, action after questioning Sonia-Rahul
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has raided 12 places including Delhi and Kolkata in the National Herald case. ED has also raided the National Herald’s office in Delhi. It is being told that the ED has searched on the fourth floor of Herald House. National Herald’s Publication Office is here. The ED had entered the Herald House at 10 am.
The ED had recently questioned Sonia Gandhi in the National Herald case. Not only this, earlier Rahul Gandhi was also questioned in this matter. On the other hand, the Congress had conducted satyagraha across the country against the action of the ED.
No one present in National Herald office
It is being told that no one except the security guard is present in the National Herald office. On the other hand, Congress MP Uttar Reddy has said about the ED raid that it is shocking. This is nothing but political revenge.
Delhi | ED raids are underway at multiple locations in Delhi pertaining to alleged National Herald money laundering case pic.twitter.com/fUmD1YxI9a
— ANI (@ANI) August 2, 2022
What is the National Herald case?
It is alleged that there were financial irregularities between National Herald, AJL (Associated Journal Limited) and Young Indian Private Limited. The National Herald was a newspaper, which was started by Jawaharlal Nehru along with 500 freedom fighters. It used to write about the atrocities of the British.
Whereas Associated Journals Limited was a publisher. It came into existence on 20 November 1937. At that time it published three newspapers. It included National Herald (English), Navjeevan (Hindi) and Qaumi Awaaz (Urdu).
Then after 1960, AJL started facing financial problems. On this the Congress party came forward to help and gave a loan without interest to AJL. Then in April 2008, AJL stopped publishing newspapers. Then in 2010 it came to know that AJL has to repay the Congress party’s loan of Rs 90.21 crore.
Meanwhile, in 2010 itself, on November 23, a company named Young Indian Private Limited was formed. It had two partners. First Suman Dubey and second Sam Pitroda. This company was registered as a non-profit company. Then on the 13th of December next month, Rahul Gandhi is made a director in this company. Then a few days later the All India Congress Committee (AICC) agrees to transfer all the loans of AJL to Young Indian.
Thereafter, in January 2011, Sonia Gandhi took over as the director of Young Indian. By this time Sonia and Rahul Gandhi had controlled 36 per cent of Young India’s shares. Later legal troubles began when the following month the Young Indian (YI) took a loan of Rs 1 crore from Kolkata based RPG Group owned company Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd. Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd is now said to be a fictitious company. A few days later, YI, the entire shareholder of AJL, was transferred 90 crore was transferred against AJL loan.
The Income Tax Department alleges that the Young Indian, owned by the Gandhi family, took possession of the property of AJL, which is worth between Rs 800 and Rs 2,000 crore, by paying only Rs 50 lakh. However, Congress maintains that Young Indian Private Limited is registered under Section 25 of the Companies Act.
