India: Federal agency ED attaches assets worth billions of dollars in National Herald case
Story highlights
The Indian National Congress, the opposition party which promotes the National Herald newspaper has called this "petty vendetta tactics". The election process in five Indian states is going on
India's federal agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Tuesday that it has attached immovable assets and equity shares worth about Rs 752 crores (USD 90 billion) as part of its investigation against Indian National Congress-promoted National Herald newspaper in the case of money laundering allegations.
The provisional attachment order against assets of National Herald and companies linked to it took place just as election process in five Indian states (Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Mizoram) is going on. Counting of votes is due to be held on December 3.
The Congress has termed the action taken by the ED as "petty vendetta tactics" and has called ED a "coalition partner" of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Congress said that the BJP is going to get defeated in the state assembly elections.
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The Enforcement Directorate, a federal probe agency in India, has alleged that donors and shareholders of the Congress were "cheated" by Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) and Young Indian (YI).
AJL publishes the National Herald newspaper and is owned by Young Indian Private Limited. Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have majority of shares in Young India with 38 per cent stake owned by each of them.
The provisional order, such as the one issued by the ED while attaching the assets, needs to be approved by Adjudicating Authority of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) within six months. After that ED can take possession of these attached properties.
"Investigation revealed that Associated Journals Ltd. (AJL) is in possession of proceeds of crime in the form of immovable properties spread across many cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow to the tune of Rs. 661.69 crore (USD 79 billion) and Young Indian (YI) is in possession of proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs. 90.21 crore (USD 10 billion) in the form of investment in equity shares of AJL," ED said in a statement.
The immovable assets owned by the National Herald include an office at ITO, Delhi and another near Kaiserbagh in Lucknow. Last year, ED questioned the Gandhis, and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in addition to Pawan Bansal, DK Shivakumar and DK Suresh.
PTI cited sources to say that the leaders may be called for questioning again before the federal agency files a charge sheet.
A court order from Metropolitan Magistrate of Delhi following a private complaint has led to investigation into the allegations.
(With inputs from agencies)
