India / National herald case No proof of Moti Lal Vora handling financial transactions say ED sources

New Delhi : Sources close to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have said that none of the Congress leaders (including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi) called for questioning produced any documents to prove that Associated Journal Ltd (AJL) and Young All financial transactions involving Indian Private Limited were handled by Late Motilal Vora.

Motilal Vora was the longest-serving treasurer of the Congress Party. He passed away in the year 2020. In fact, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi had said during the interrogation of the ED in the money laundering case related to the National Herald case that all the financial transactions related to AJL and Young India Limited were seen by Motilal Vora.

ED sources say that when Rahul Gandhi was questioned about the financial aspects, he told the officials that all the transactions are done by Vora. Apart from Rahul and Sonia, Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Kumar Bansal had also taken the same name before the ED but, all these leaders failed to produce documents related to the meeting, if any such meeting took place.

Sources also said that the ED had no option but to call Kharge when Parliament was in session as he is the only employee of Young Indian. The ED has temporarily sealed the office of Young Indian located in the premises of Congress-owned newspaper National Herald in Delhi as part of a money laundering probe.

What is the Young Indian-AJL deal?

BJP leader and advocate Subramanian Swamy filed a complaint before a trial court in 2012 alleging that some Congress leaders were involved in fraud in the acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd by Young Indian Ltd (YIL).

The National Herald was a newspaper founded by Jawaharlal Nehru along with other freedom fighters in 1938. The newspaper was published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL). In 2008, AJL closed down with a debt of over Rs 90 crore. Subramanian Swamy claims that YIL "acquired" the assets of dormant print media outlets in a "malicious" manner to gain assets and profits of over Rs 2,000 crore.

Motilal Vora was then the treasurer of AICC and was actively involved in AJL affairs. He also co-signed an agreement announcing the closure of the National Herald newspaper of the AJL group in January 2008.