The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday filed a chargesheet against Congress MPs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in connection with the National Herald money-laundering case, the first such action against the family prompting the party to allege “vendetta politics” and “intimidation” by the Narendra Modi government.

The development comes three days after the agency served notices to take possession of immovable assets worth ₹661 crore that it had attached in connection with a probe into a money-laundering case against the Congress-controlled Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), which runs the National Herald newspaper.

The chargesheet was filed hours after the ED summoned Robert Vadra, businessman and Rahul’s brother-in-law, and recorded his statement in a 2008 money-laundering case linked to a Haryana land deal.

“Seizing the assets of the National Herald is a state-sponsored crime masquerading as the rule of law. Filing chargesheets against Smt Sonia Gandhi, Rahul
Gandhi and some others is nothing but the politics of vendetta and intimidation by the PM and the HM gone completely berserk. The INC and its leadership will not be silenced, Satyameva Jayate,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh posted on X.

The chargesheet, filed in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court, also names Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda and some others. The court is yet to take cognisance of the chargesheet and will hear the matter on April 25.

“The present prosecution complaint shall next be taken up for consideration on the aspect of cognisance before this court on April 25 when the special counsel for the ED and IO (investigating officer) shall also ensure the production of the case diaries for perusal by the court,” the judge said.

Businessman Robert Vadra arrives at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office for questioning in a land deal-linked money laundering case, in New Delhi, Tuesday, April 15, 2025.

The chargesheet was filed under Sections 3 (money laundering) and 4 (punishment for money laundering) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act by ED special public prosecutor N.K. Matta.

The ED probe, which began in 2021, stems from a complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in 2014 before a Delhi court.

The complaint highlighted a “criminal conspiracy” by several prominent political figures, including Sonia and Rahul, late Congress leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes and Suman Dubey, Pitroda and the private company Young Indian for their alleged involvement in a money-laundering scheme related to the fraudulent takeover of properties valued at over ₹2,000 crore belonging to the AJL.

Sonia and Rahul are majority shareholders of Young Indian, with 38 per cent shares held by each. Both of them had been questioned for hours by the ED in the case.

The ED claimed its investigation has “conclusively” found that Young Indian, which was “beneficially owned” by Sonia and Rahul, “acquired” AJL properties worth ₹2,000 crore for a mere ₹50 lakh, significantly undervaluing its worth.

“Young Indian and AJL properties were used for the generation of further proceeds of crime in the form of bogus donations to the tune of ₹18 crore, bogus advance rent to the tune of ₹38 crore and bogus advertisements of ₹29 crore,” the ED alleged.

Vadra summons

Vadra on Tuesday marched from his Delhi home to the ED headquarters after being summoned in connection with the Haryana land deal case, alleging “political vendetta” and “witch hunt” by the BJP.

The 56-year-old walked around 2km, along with his security personnel, Congress supporters and a media posse, from his home at Sujan Singh Park in central Delhi to the ED office on APJ Abdul Kalam Road.

“This is nothing but political vendetta. Whenever I speak for minorities, they try to stop me, crush us... they tried to stop Rahul in Parliament too. This is misuse of agencies and witch hunt,” he told reporters en route to the ED office.

Sources in the ED said the probe against Vadra was linked to a land deal in Haryana’s Shikohpur of February 2008 where a company linked to him — Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd — purchased a 3.5-acre plot for ₹7.5 crore. Vadra’s company later allegedly sold the plot for ₹58 crore to real estate giant DLF.

Suspecting the proceeds to be part of a laundering scheme, the central agency is probing the money trail behind the windfall gains.