The Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police has registered a fresh FIR against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, along with six associates and entities, in connection with an alleged criminal conspiracy to fraudulently acquire Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), a Congress-owned company with properties valued at Rs 2,000 crore, according to details received by The Chenab Times.
The FIR, dated October 3, stems from a complaint by the Headquarters Investigative Unit of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which shared findings from its probe into the National Herald money laundering case spanning 2008 to 2024. Under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the ED can direct another agency to investigate a scheduled offence, which may serve as a predicate for its own PMLA inquiry.
The acquisition allegedly occurred through Young Indian, in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi held 76% shareholding. The FIR names three individuals besides the Gandhis, including Sam Pitroda, chief of Indian Overseas Congress, and three entities: AJL, Young Indian, and Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd, a Kolkata-based firm that reportedly provided Rs 1 crore to Young Indian. From these funds, the Gandhis allegedly paid Rs 50 lakh to Congress to secure AJL’s assets.
Sources indicated that police may summon AJL shareholders to determine if Congress obtained their approval before transferring the company to Young Indian, which is beneficially owned by the Gandhis.
The ED’s ongoing PMLA probe originates from a 2014 private complaint by former BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, cognized by a Patiala House metropolitan magistrate’s court. On April 9, the ED filed a prosecution complaint against the accused before a special MPs/MLAs court at Rouse Avenue, which has yet to take cognizance.
Congress has denied the allegations, terming the ED probe a political vendetta directed by the government. Party officials stated they were unaware of the new FIR when contacted.
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| Full name | Tahir Rihat | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Also known as | Tahir Bilal | ||
| Date of Birth | 02 January 1999 | ||
| Occupation | Journalist; Online Editor | ||
| Employer | The Chenab Times | ||
| Base | Thathri, Doda, Jammu & Kashmir, India | ||
| Website | tahirrihat.com | ||
| Social | YouTube | ||
Tahir Rihat (also known as Tahir Bilal) is an Indian journalist and online editor at The Chenab Times. Based in Thathri, Doda, he reports on regional affairs, civic governance, and human-interest stories across Jammu and Kashmir. Rihat also maintains a personal website, tahirrihat.com, where he shares professional updates and reflections on journalism in the Chenab Valley.
