Abhishek Manu Singhvi Slams ED Case Against Gandhis as ‘Unprecedented’ in National Herald Hearing

New Delhi: Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, launched a scathing rebuttal in the National Herald case on Saturday, calling the Enforcement Directorate’s money laundering allegations against the Gandhi family “more than strange – truly unprecedented.”

The comments came during ongoing proceedings in a Delhi court, where Singhvi responded to arguments made by Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, who concluded the ED’s submissions on July 3 regarding cognisance of the chargesheet filed in the case.

“This is a case without any property being moved, without any monetary transaction in anyone’s pocket, and still it’s being labeled as money laundering,” Singhvi told the court. He emphasized that there was no personal gain by any Congress leader and that not a single asset was transferred from Associated Journals Limited (AJL) to Young Indian.

“This is not just unusual; it defies the very definition of money laundering under the law,” he added.

The ED has accused top Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, of criminal conspiracy to acquire assets worth over ₹2,000 crore originally held by AJL, the publisher of the historic National Herald newspaper. According to the agency, this was allegedly done via Young Indian, a not-for-profit entity in which the Gandhis hold a 76% stake.

The chargesheet names several prominent Congress figures including the late Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, Sam Pitroda, and Suman Dubey. The ED alleges that the accused used a ₹90 crore loan given by the Congress party to AJL as a tool to facilitate a strategic takeover through Young Indian.

ASG Raju had earlier argued that Sonia and Rahul Gandhi were the “beneficial owners” of Young Indian, gaining de facto control of AJL after the demise of other shareholders.

However, Singhvi dismissed the theory of personal enrichment or criminal intent, claiming that the restructuring was done to “rescue a debt-ridden AJL” and revive the legacy of the National Herald, not to siphon assets.

“Not one paisa went into anyone’s pocket,” Singhvi reiterated, asserting that the move was about preserving heritage and financial rehabilitation, not profiteering.

The court has now scheduled further arguments for July 8, where senior advocate for Rahul Gandhi is expected to present his rebuttal to the ED’s claims.