New Delhi, Jul 12 (PTI) Additional Solicitor General S V Raju on Saturday told a court hearing the National Herald case that Young Indian Ltd was engaged in money laundering, and donating to it helped people secure tickets from the Congress party to contest elections.

Raju started his rejoinder arguments before Special Judge Vishal Gogne, citing a statement from the prosecution complaint where the person had alleged that arranging funds for Young Indian could help in securing a ticket to contest the general elections in April-May 2019.

The ASG also cited the individual's statement, according to which, he was asked to arrange Rs 50 lakh and credit it to the bank account of Young India, for which the same amount would be returned to him in cash.

According to the statement cited by the ASG, the person credited Rs 20 lakh in Young Indian's account and received the same amount in cash.

"Young Indian was engaged in money laundering. Anybody giving donation was given a ticket," Raju said.

He also cited portions of the prosecution complaint where, as per the investigation, some donors made payments to Young Indian on instructions from senior Congress leaders to secure their position in the "party politics", and that many of these donors were not aware of the objectives of Young Indian.

"Some of the people gave donations on the instructions of senior Congress leaders. They were neither aware of Young Indian nor its objective. Substantial donations were received by Young Indian when its charitable status had been cancelled by the Income Tax department," Raju said.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has accused Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, late Congress leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes, as well as Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda and a private company, Young Indian, of conspiracy and money laundering over the fraudulent takeover of properties valued at over Rs 2,000 crore belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which published the National Herald newspaper.

The ED alleges that the Gandhis held the majority 76 per cent shares in Young Indian, which fraudulently usurped the assets of AJL in exchange for a Rs 90 crore loan. Its chargesheet names Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Sam Pitroda, Young Indian, Suman Dubey, Sunil Bhandari and Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd.

ASG Raju questioned why Dotex would provide a Rs one crore loan to Young Indian, which was running into losses.

"No valuable asset, no collateral was taken before a loan was given. You (Dotex) are giving a loan to an entity from which the loan is non-recoverable. No security, mortgage, nothing is taken. Dotex is not as clean as projected. Assisting is also an offence," Raju said.

He also said that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) had transferred the Rs 90 crore loan to AJL in a clandestine manner and that the "debt was a facade." After Raju completed his rebuttal, the court posted the matter for further proceedings on Monday. PTI MNR RT

Money laundering allegations against Young Indian tie donations to political tickets and challenge the legitimacy of an asset transfer. The prosecution alleges Young Indian functioned as a vehicle for money laundering, with donations tied to securing electoral tickets, including payments returned in cash; several donors allegedly acted on instructions from senior party figures and significant contributions were received after Young Indian's charitable status was cancelled. The Enforcement Directorate frames these transactions as part of a conspiracy to fraudulently take over a publisher's assets in exchange for a large loan, questions unsecured loans from private entities to an insolvent recipient, and describes an interposed debt transfer as a facade.