ITAT confirms the frauds committed in acquiring the assets of AJL, the company that was owning National Herald as the noose tightens for Rahul and Sonia

The doors are closing step-by-step for Congress President Sonia Gandhi and son Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. The Appellate Tribunal’s Order dated November 15, ratifying the Income Tax Order of canceling Charitable activities exemption certificate reiterates the fact that mother and son controlled firm Young Indian committed a series of blatant frauds in grabbing the assets of the National Herald newspaper publishing company Associated Journal Limited (AJL).

After canceling the tax exemption certificate Income Tax has fined Young Indian Rs.249 crores, finding that the shell firm has a taxable income of Rs. 414 crores[1]. The Income Tax Department also ordered a re-assessment of the incomes of Sonia and Rahul and they lost the case in Delhi High Court[2]. Now the case is pending in the Supreme Court and is listed for November 29.

The Appellate Tribunal’s 175-page Order (published at the end of this report) reiterates the frauds committed to dubiously acquiring thousands of crores worth assets of the National Herald publishing company in Delhi, Panchkula, Mumbai, Patna, Lucknow, and other metro cities. The Tribunal’s Order also lays bare the lies floated by the Congress leaders. In many areas of the Order, the Tribunal headed by Amit Shukla and Prashant Maharishi lists in detail the frauds and lies of the Congress leaders.

Scam exposed by Swamy

When the National Herald scam was exposed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, the Congress leaders claimed that they took Rs.90 crores loan from Congress party to save party’s debt-ridden newspaper. The Tax authorities probe exposes that there was no such loan and that this fake loan claim was a cock & bull story to dubiously take over thousands of crores worth assets of National herald, spread across many cities.

The Tribunal Order also reveals the fact that in the garb of journalism, the National Herald’s covert operation after the takeover by Sonia and Rahul was just to acquire the huge land assets. The Order also shows that a one-crore-loan later claimed as a donation from a Kolkata based shell firm Dotex was nothing but money laundering. In a nutshell, the Tribunal Order says that using the fake loan or donation of Rs.50 lakhs, Sonia and Rahul controlled firm Young Indian covertly acquired thousands of crores-worth assets of National Herald publishing firm AJL.

NH Digital operation a sham

The Order also says that the digital operation of the National Herald was nothing but a sham to avoid cases and just to show that they are engaged in media newspaper activity. Government has already issued orders to vacate the Herald House and Delhi High Court has already ratified it. Now the Congress leaders appeal is pending before Supreme Court and expected to be listed on November 25.

In the main criminal case filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy that is now in the cross-examination stage, the Congress leaders are, for the past one year, engaged in crossing the petitioner. The next date for crossing is scheduled on November 29 and 30 and Swamy has already urged day-to-day hearing in the case and the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal, heading the special fast track court of MPs and MLAs said that he would consider starting day-to-day hearing from January 2020.

The 175 page Order of the Appellate Tribunal is published below:

1573819906-7751-D-17- Young Indian by PGurus on Scribd



References:

[1] National Herald case: Delhi HC orders Young Indian to deposit Rs.10 cr. In Income Tax recovery notice of Rs.250 crores – Mar 19, 2018, PGurus.com

[2] Delhi High Court dismisses Sonia-Rahul Gandhi petitions against Income Tax re-assessing in National Herald case – Sep 10, 2018, PGurus.com