ED issues notice to take possession of assets in Cong-linked AJL case

The Enforcement Directorate Saturday said it has issued notices to take possession of immovable assets worth Rs 661 crore that it had attached in probe into the money laundering case against Congress-controlled Associated Journals Limited (AJL).

The federal probe agency said in a statement that it has affixed these notices at the Herald House located in Delhi at ITO, at the premises in Bandra area of Mumbai and the AJL building located at Bisheshwar Nath Road in Lucknow on Friday.

The notices seek vacation of the premises or transfer of rent (in the case of the Mumbai asset) to the ED.

The action has been taken under Section (8) and Rule 5(1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) that talks about the procedure of taking possession of the assets that are attached by the ED and confirmed by the adjudicating authority (of PMLA).

These immovable assets were attached by the ED in November 2023.

The ED case of money laundering is against AJL and Young Indian.

The National Herald is published by AJL and owned by Young Indian Private Limited. Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are majority shareholders of Young Indian with 38 per cent shares held by each one of them.

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