National Herald case: ED names Telangana CM Revanth in chargesheet, but not as accused

New Delhi/Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has been named in the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) chargesheet in the National Herald case. However, he has not been listed as an accused.

The ED has named Revanth Reddy (who was Telangana PCC president then), Patel and Bansal as the Congress leaders on whose instructions a number of people made donations to YI between 2019 and 2022.

The chargesheet, filed on April 9, 2025, before a local court, primarily targets senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

Those named in the chargesheet for seeking donations for YI include Telangana CM and former PCC president Revanth Reddy, late Ahmed Patel and Pawan Bansal. However, none of these leaders have been named as accused in the chargesheet.

The ED has also named 78-year-old former Congress president and Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi as accused no. 1 and her son Rahul Gandhi (54) as accused no. 2, apart from five others in the prosecution complaint filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED alleges that the Gandhis orchestrated a scheme to acquire assets worth nearly Rs 2,000 crore belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL) through Young Indian (YI), a company they control.

As part of the investigation, the agency has cited several Congress leaders—including Revanth Reddy, the late Ahmed Patel, and Pawan Bansal—as having influenced individuals to contribute funds to AJL and YI between 2019 and 2022.

According to the ED, these contributions were not genuine donations but were made under political pressure, with an implied promise of favors or threat of consequences. The agency contends that such transactions violate norms governing political funding and donations.

While the chargesheet has stirred political debate, especially in Telangana, there has been no official move to summon or charge Chief Minister Revanth Reddy in connection with the case at this stage.

What is National Herald Case?

The National Herald case continues to be a focal point of political and legal debate, involving allegations of financial irregularities and money laundering against top Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

The origins of the case trace back to 2012, when BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a private complaint in a Delhi court. Swamy alleged that the Gandhis and other Congress leaders orchestrated a scheme to acquire the assets of Associated Journals Limited (AJL)—the publisher of the now-defunct National Herald newspaper—through a newly formed company, Young Indian (YI).

The National Herald case has deepened with intensified scrutiny from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which in November 2023 attached assets worth Rs 751.9 crore linked to AJL) and YIL as part of its money laundering investigation.

While Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have denied any wrongdoing, stating that the transactions were lawful and aimed at reviving the National Herald newspaper, the case remains a contentious political and legal issue, with court proceedings and ED inquiries still ongoing.