New Delhi: Senior Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi have been formally charged with criminal conspiracy in a fresh First Information Report (FIR) related to the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) — the company that published the now-defunct National Herald newspaper.
The FIR, filed by the Economic Offences Wing, Delhi Police (EOW), names six accused including the Gandhis. Alongside them are former Congress associate Sam Pitroda, three other individuals, and three companies — AJL, Young Indian Private Limited (YI), and Dotex Merchandise Private Limited. The allegations claim a “fraudulent takeover” of AJL through a criminal conspiracy.
According to the FIR, Dotex Merchandise, described as a shell company based in Kolkata, provided Rs 1 crore to YI. YI, in which Rahul and Sonia Gandhi hold 76% shareholding, allegedly used this money to pay ₹50 lakh to the Congress party — after which YI gained control over AJL, whose assets are claimed to be worth roughly Rs 2,000 crore.
The FIR is reportedly based on a complaint from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which shared its investigation report with the Delhi Police. The FIR has been registered under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), allowing ED to direct any agency to register and probe a scheduled offence.
This fresh development emerges a day after a Delhi court deferred pronouncing its decision in the broader National Herald case to December 16.
Background of the case
The roots of the matter trace back to 2012 when a complaint was filed by Subramanian Swamy, alleging that Congress leaders were involved in cheating and breach of trust during the acquisition of AJL — the publisher of National Herald.
The National Herald newspaper, founded in 1938 by freedom fighters including those associated with the Indian National Congress, stopped its print publication in 2008 after financial distress. At that time, AJL reportedly had unpaid debts amounting to around Rs 90 crore.
To salvage AJL, Congress claims to have extended an interest-free loan of Rs 90 crore over ten years. When AJL failed to repay, the loan was converted to equity. Since a political party cannot hold equity shares, these were transferred to Young Indian — a not-for-profit firm formed in 2010. Rahul and Sonia Gandhi each hold 38% of YI, while the remaining shares belong to other Congress associates.
Through this structure, YI effectively became the majority shareholder in AJL, gaining control of its assets which include high-value properties across India.
Earlier charges & allegations
The Enforcement Directorate had earlier filed a chargesheet in April 2025 against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sam Pitroda and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, alleging money-laundering, cheating and misappropriation of AJL’s assets.
ED has claimed that the transfer of AJL to YI for Rs 50 lakh represented a “sham transaction,” executed with the knowledge and participation of senior Congress leaders. The agency alleged YI was used as a vehicle to siphon off AJL’s assets — estimated at around Rs 2,000 crore — converting a Rs 90 crore loan into equity, thereby gaining control for a nominal amount.
The ED also claimed that since YI took over, the Gandhis and other accused have been benefiting from rental income and other proceeds, amounting to substantial financial gains.
The new FIR marks the first time the Gandhis have been charged with “criminal conspiracy” in the AJL/National Herald case, signalling that the investigation has reached the stage where law-enforcement believes the alleged financial manoeuvres constituted a criminal offence, not just civil or regulatory violations.
By using provisions under PMLA, the ED has paved the way for criminal prosecution — potentially leading to trial, and not simply civil or monetary recovery proceedings.
