Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has been named in an Enforcement Directorate (ED) chargesheet tied to the long-running National Herald money laundering case. According to the ED, Reddy played a role in channeling donations to Young Indian, a company at the center of the controversy, between 2019 and 2022.
In a filing to a Delhi court on April 9, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleged that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy played a role in raising funds for Young Indian – the company at the heart of the National Herald case, which is accused of illegally taking over assets worth ₹2,000 crore from Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the former publisher of the now-defunct newspaper.
While Reddy hasn’t been formally named as an accused, his name appears alongside senior Congress figures like the late Ahmad Patel and Pawan Bansal. According to the ED, these leaders leaned on party members to contribute to Young Indian – sometimes dangling political favors, other times applying subtle pressure to secure donations.
Between 2018 and 2020, Young Indian reportedly received donations of ₹6.90 crore and ₹5.05 crore, which the ED says were used to clear old income tax dues dating back to the 2011–12 fiscal year.
The heart of the ED’s case focuses on Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, who are listed as the main accused. The agency alleges they orchestrated the transfer of 99% of AJL’s shares to Young Indian for just ₹50 lakh – despite the Congress party having previously loaned ₹90 crore to AJL.
Statements collected during the probe include claims from Congress members who said they felt pressured to contribute. In one case, a leader allegedly wrote to Sonia Gandhi asking for a refund after promised perks like party positions didn’t materialize.
Back in November 2023, the ED seized assets worth ₹751.9 crore from AJL offices in Delhi, Mumbai, and Lucknow. The case traces back to 2012, when BJP leader Subramanian Swamy first brought it to light. Since then, it’s taken a winding legal path – at one point, a CBI investigation stalled, while the ED has continued its probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The ED is now moving forward with charges under sections 3, 4, 44, and 45 of the PMLA – serious offenses that could carry prison sentences of up to 10 years. As of now, both CM Revanth Reddy and Pawan Bansal have stayed silent, offering no public response to the chargesheet.