Sonia Gandhi Accused of Pocketing Rs 142 Crore: ED

Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi is facing serious allegations from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the National Herald case. In a charge sheet recently filed in a Delhi court, the ED claimed that Sonia Gandhi personally gained ₹142 crore through financial transactions they believe were unlawful. Her son Rahul Gandhi, the agency added, was linked to around ₹92 crore of that amount.

According to the ED, the money was acquired through assets that were obtained via questionable means. The agency alleges that Sonia and Rahul, along with senior Congress leaders Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey, were part of a conspiracy to misuse the assets of Associated Journals Ltd., the publisher of the now-defunct National Herald newspaper. The agency claims that Young Indian, a company closely linked to the Gandhi family, took control of National Herald’s assets by paying just ₹50 lakh, and in turn earned over ₹90 crore.

The ED argued in court that these funds were later used for political purposes, which they claim violates money laundering laws. The agency also pointed out that the profits came largely from real estate holdings that originally belonged to the National Herald trust. It has demanded that the money be recovered with 14 percent interest and classified the entire transaction as a clear case of money laundering.

This is the first time Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have been directly named in such a charge sheet. The ED made it clear there is no room for leniency in this matter, calling the misuse of trust and public assets a serious offense. As the case proceeds, it is expected to create ripples not just in the legal space but also in the political arena.