ED attaches assets worth Rs 751.9 crore in money laundering probe against National Herald

New Delhi : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday said it has attached assets worth Rs 751.9 crore as part of its money laundering probe against the Congress Party-promoted Young Indian Company, which owns the National Herald newspaper. According to the central probe agency’s statement, an order was issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against newspaper publisher Associated Journal Limited (AJL) and its holding company Young Indian.

The statement said that investigation has revealed that AJL has the proceeds of crime in the form of immovable properties, which are located in many cities of the country like Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow. Their value is Rs 661.69 crore. At the same time, Young Indian has Rs 90.21 crore of crime proceeds in the form of ‘equity shares’ of AJL. ED has interrogated Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge in this case and recorded their statements.

BJP’s ploy to divert attention: Congress

On the other hand, Congress on Tuesday said that the attachment action taken by ED in the case related to ‘National Herald’ is an attempt to divert attention from the certain defeat of BJP in the assembly elections of five states. Party spokesperson and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that no agency can prevent the defeat of BJP and Congress and opposition parties are not going to bow down to such petty tricks.

Singhvi said in a statement that the news of attachment of AJL’s properties by the ED shows their desperation to divert attention from the certain defeat in these assembly elections. He also said that action under PMLA can only be taken as a result of a principal offence. In this case there is no transfer of any immovable property, no transaction of money. In fact, there is no complainant who claims that he has been cheated.