National Herald Case: Enforcement Directorate's Big Action, Assets Worth Rs 751 Cr Attached

In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken action in the Nation Herald case by attaching assets totaling a staggering Rs 751.9 crore. Under the purview of the Money Laundering Act, this action marks a crucial step in the ongoing investigation. The move is part of the agency's efforts to address financial irregularities associated with the case, signaling a significant stride forward in the legal proceedings.

In a statement issued today, the ED said that it found during investigation involvement of Associated Journals in the crime. "ED has issued an order to provisionally attach properties worth Rs. 751.9 Crore in a money-laundering case investigated under the PMLA, 2002. Investigation revealed that M/s. 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 and M/s. Young Indian (YI) is in possession of proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs. 90.21 Crore in the form of investment in equity shares of AJL," said the ED.

ED has issued an order to provisionally attach properties worth Rs. 751.9 Crore in a money-laundering case investigated under the PMLA, 2002. Investigation revealed that M/s. Associated Journals Ltd. (AJL) is in possession of proceeds of crime in the form of immovable properties…

— ED (@dir_ed) November 21, 2023

A provisional order has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against the newspaper's publisher Associated Journals Ltd. and its holding company Young Indian. The ED had earlier questioned and recorded the statements of Congress' first family Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi and that of president Mallikarjun Kharge in this case.

ED initiated a money-laundering investigation on the basis of a process issued by the Court of Metropolitan Magistrate of Delhi after taking cognizance of a private complaint vide order dated June 26, 2014.