The Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has registered a fresh First Information Report (FIR) against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, along with six other individuals and entities, in connection with alleged criminal conspiracy and irregularities in the takeover of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the company that once published the National Herald.
The new FIR, dated October 3, was filed following a formal complaint and shared investigative material from the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED invoked Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to direct the Delhi Police to register the scheduled offence, a step that is expected to strengthen the central agency’s ongoing money laundering probe.
Allegations of Fraudulent Takeover
The core of the allegation is the alleged irregular acquisition of AJL, which reportedly holds real estate assets valued at close to ₹2,000 crore. Investigators claim the takeover was engineered through the entity Young Indian (YI), in which Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi together hold a majority 76 percent stake.
The FIR names the Gandhis, Indian Overseas Congress Chief Sam Pitroda, and three others, in addition to the entities AJL, Young Indian, and Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd. Dotex, described as a Kolkata-based shell entity, allegedly provided ₹1 crore to Young Indian. From this sum, ₹50 lakh was reportedly paid to the Congress party, which then facilitated Young Indian’s acquisition of control over AJL. The police have pressed charges under IPC sections including 120B (criminal conspiracy), 406 (criminal breach of trust), and 420 (cheating).
Political Reactions and Case History
The police action comes from a money laundering probe initiated by the ED in 2014 after a Delhi court took cognizance of a private complaint filed by former BJP MP Subramanian Swamy.
Following the news of the FIR, the BJP sharply attacked the Congress leadership. Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused the Congress family of treating corruption as a “right,” calling the dispute a “classic case of zameen chori” (land theft).
The Congress party has categorically denied the allegations, reiterating its long-standing position that the case is “politically motivated” and an abuse of investigative agencies by the ruling government. The new FIR follows the ED’s filing of a prosecution complaint (chargesheet) in the case in April, though the court has not yet taken cognisance of it.