In a fresh twist to the National Herald case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has leveled explosive allegations against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, claiming that senior party members were directed to make hefty donations to Young Indian Limited — a company linked to the two top leaders.
According to India TV, the ED’s chargesheet alleges that Sonia and Rahul Gandhi were direct beneficiaries of funds funneled into Young Indian, which is now under scrutiny for acting as a financial conduit in a suspected cover-up operation.
The central agency claims that Young Indian acquired assets worth ₹2,000 crore from Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) — the publisher of the National Herald newspaper — for a mere ₹50 lakh. This transaction, according to the ED, raises serious concerns over potential misappropriation of funds and money laundering.
A particularly damning segment of the probe centers on Telangana. The ED alleges that, under instructions from then-MLA and now Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, four Congress leaders collectively donated over ₹80 lakh to Young Indian within just one month in 2022.
The donors reportedly include:
- Gali Anil Kumar, 2019 Lok Sabha candidate, who donated ₹20 lakh in June 2022.
- Former MLA Ali Shabbir, who contributed ₹20 lakh.
- Telangana Congress Treasurer P. Sudarshan, who gave ₹15 lakh.
- Then Working President of Telangana Congress, who reportedly made the largest single donation of ₹25 lakh.
The financial trail doesn’t stop in Telangana. The ED has also unearthed similar patterns in Karnataka and Punjab. In Karnataka, Congress stalwart Pawan Bansal allegedly instructed DK Shivakumar and his brother, MP DK Suresh, to donate ₹25 lakh each. In addition, a trust affiliated with Shivakumar — the National Education Trust — is said to have donated a massive ₹2 crore to Young Indian in April 2022.
In Punjab, Amit Vij, a former Assembly candidate, reportedly contributed ₹3.30 crore in three tranches during 2015.
India TV Sources within the ED suggest these donations were far from voluntary and may form part of a coordinated effort to channel illicit funds into Young Indian. The agency is now investigating whether these contributions violate provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
