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ED'S SPECIAL COUNSEL, ZOHEB HOSSAIN, ARGUED THAT ANY PROPERTY OBTAINED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY THROUGH CRIMINAL ACTIVITY QUALIFIES AS PROCEEDS OF CRIME. THIS INCLUDES NOT ONLY ASSETS

FROM SCHEDULED OFFENCES BUT ALSO INCOME TIED TO THOSE ASSETS. New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) informed the Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday that Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and

Rahul Gandhi allegedly benefited from proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 142 crore in connection with the National Herald money laundering case. The court has issued notices to Sonia Gandhi,

Rahul Gandhi, Sam Pitroda, and others in this case. ED's special counsel, Zoheb Hossain, argued that any property obtained directly or indirectly through criminal activity qualifies as

proceeds of crime. This includes not only assets from scheduled offences but also income tied to those assets. Hossain claimed that the rental income of Rs 142 crore received by the accused

should be treated as proceeds of crime. He added that Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, who collectively held 76% stake in Young Indian, were involved in a breach of trust. According to the ED, Young

Indian acquired assets worth Rs 90.25 crore from Associated Journals Ltd. (AJL) for just Rs 50 lakh. ED FILED CHARGESHEET LAST MONTH In its chargesheet filed last month, the ED accused

Sonia, Rahul and several others of laundering Rs 988 crore. The chargesheet was submitted before Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court under multiple sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering

Act (PMLA). The chargesheet named Sonia Gandhi, the former Congress president, as accused no. 1, while her son Rahul Gandhi, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, as

accused no 2.  In its chargesheet, the central agency has relied on a 2017 assessment order from the Income Tax Department to back its allegations. It claims that key members of the All

India Congress Committee (AICC), in coordination with principal officials of Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and Young Indian, hatched a criminal conspiracy to gain control of AJL's

assets, which are estimated to be worth around Rs 2,000 crore. Notably, AJL is an unlisted public company historically associated with the publication of the National Herald newspaper. WHAT

IS THE NATIONAL HERALD CASE?  The National Herald was a newspaper launched by Jawaharlal Nehru and fellow freedom fighters in 1938. It was founded with an aim to represent the views of the

liberal faction within the Indian National Congress. Published by Associated Journals Limited, the newspaper evolved into a key mouthpiece for the Congress party post-Independence. In

addition to the English daily, AJL also brought out Hindi and Urdu publications. However, by 2008, the National Herald ceased operations after being burdened with debts exceeding Rs 90

crore. The controversy surrounding its assets gained momentum in 2012 when BJP leader and lawyer Subramanian Swamy lodged a complaint in a trial court. He alleged that certain Congress

leaders had committed cheating and breach of trust in the process of acquiring AJL. According to Swamy, the firm Young Indian Ltd had acquired control over the National Herald's assets

through what he termed a "malicious" takeover. ALSO READ: NATIONAL HERALD CASE: DELHI COURT ISSUES NOTICE TO SONIA AND RAHUL GANDHI OVER ED CHARGESHEET