ED’s Herald case is politically motivated, says Cong lawyer

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi's lawyer told a Delhi court that the Enforcement Directorate’s case against her was politically motivated, and that instead of the assets of The Associated Journals Limited (AJL) — which ran National Herald newspaper — being illegally acquired by Young Indian (YI), of which 76% is owned by her and her son and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, only shares were transferred, constituting no money laundering.

- Arnabjit Sur

These submissions were made on Friday by Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing on behalf of Sonia Gandhi, before Special Judge Vishal Gogne, who has been presiding over arguments on cognizance in the ED’s charge sheet in the National Herald money laundering probe against Sonia and Rahul Gandhi and others.

“In this case, politics is becoming uppermost and law is becoming last...I acquired AJL only to make it debt free, something that all corporates do... it's a case of political overdose,” he argued.

Singhvi submitted that contrary to any asset of AJL being illicitly acquired by YI, as being claimed by the federal agency, “not one of those properties have moved ownership by one inch”.