National Herald Case: Revanth Reddy Named in ED Chargesheet

While political appointments are often believed to reflect merit and leadership capabilities, recent developments in the National Herald case indicate that Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy may have been elevated to the post in exchange for political favours tied to the Young Indian and Associated Journals Limited (AJL) entities.

In its latest chargesheet, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has named Revanth Reddy, Congress leader Pawan Bansal, and the late Ahmed Patel, alleging that they sought donations from individuals between 2019 and 2022 for Young Indian and AJL. According to the ED, some Congress members were pressured to contribute, under threat of damage to their political careers or businesses if they did not comply.

At the time of the alleged activities, Revanth Reddy was serving as Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president. The ED claims he, Patel, and Bansal facilitated the collection of donations from various individuals in exchange for “certain favours” within the political ecosystem.

Neither Revanth Reddy nor Pawan Bansal has responded to the ED’s allegations.

However, the ED has recorded the statement of Arvind Vishwanath Singh Chauhan, a Congress leader, who stated he arranged a ₹30 lakh donation from his bank account and ₹20 lakh in cash for Young Indian. Chauhan reportedly said he could not refuse the request, as he had contested an Assembly election on a Congress ticket.

According to reports, the ED found that Young Indian received ₹6.90 crore in 2018–19 and ₹5.05 crore in 2019–20 as donations. These funds were allegedly used to pay legal fees for an appeal against an Income Tax demand related to the 2011–12 assessment year.

In addition, the agency uncovered that over a dozen entities paid ₹6.8 crore to AJL under the pretext of advertisement payments, allegedly made on the “instructions” of various Congress leaders.

What Is The National Herald Case?

The National Herald case, which first came to light in 2012 through a complaint by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, involves serious allegations of cheating, breach of trust, and financial misappropriation against top Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

The National Herald, founded in 1938 by Jawaharlal Nehru as a voice for the Indian National Congress during the freedom movement, was published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL). In 2010, a newly formed entity—Young Indian Pvt Ltd, a non-profit company in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi hold majority stakes—took over AJL’s debt and, effectively, its vast real estate assets, then valued at over ₹2,000 crore.

It is alleged that this takeover was structured to bypass legal norms governing non-profits and led to a significant loss to the public exchequer. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are listed as Accused No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the case.

The ED’s probe into the alleged misuse of funds and improper transactions continues, adding new political dimensions and raising fresh questions about the link between political influence and financial manoeuvring within party structures.

Responding to the news, BRS Working President KT Rama Rao took potshots at the Congress, stating, “Telangana has become an ATM for Scamgress and it’s been now corroborated by agencies.”

He added, “As the ED charge sheets Telangana “Bag Man” in National Herald case, he is trying his best to distract the people’s attention from his corrupt practices. The million dollar question is whether the NDA Govt will act this time or pardon Revant Reddy as they’ve done in the case of Amrut Scam, RR Tax and Civil supplies scam.”