Today, On 25th April, A Delhi court denied issuing a notice to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. The court stated, “At this stage, it’s not required” to proceed with the notice.
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday declined to issue notice to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others in the National Herald money laundering case for the time being.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne was responding to a request from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which argued that the court cannot take cognizance of the complaint (equivalent to a chargesheet) without first hearing from the accused, as per the new legal provisions.
The ED stated in court,
“Don’t want this order to be prolonged. Let notice be issued,”
However, the judge remarked that the court could not “pass such an order” until it was satisfied that a notice was indeed necessary. He emphasized that before any order is made, the court must determine if there are any deficiencies present.
The judge indicated,
“There are certain documents missing in the chargesheet as highlighted by the Ahlmad. ED is directed to file those documents. After that, the court will decide the issue of notice,”
The ED asserted that it was “very transparent,” adding, “Not hiding anything. Giving chance to them to come and give their point before cognisance is taken.”
Regarding the refusal of notice, the court noted,
“At this stage, it is not required to issue a notice to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in this case.”
The judge scheduled the matter for May 2.
Also Read: National Herald Case || Delhi HC Extends Stay on Trial Proceeding
The case has been a matter of public interest for several years, involving allegations of financial irregularities related to the National Herald newspaper.
The case revolves around the acquisition of assets and financial dealings involving the newspaper, which was founded by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1938. The allegations suggest that the Gandhi family, through their ownership of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of National Herald, had misused funds and engaged in illegal practices to benefit from the newspaper’s assets.
Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and other prominent figures have faced allegations of financial misconduct, which they have strongly denied. The legal proceedings have been a subject of ongoing discussion in political circles, with each side accusing the other of misusing the legal process for political gain.
The National Herald case involves a Rs.90 crore loan provided by the Congress party to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the publisher of the National Herald, which was assigned to Young Indian for a sum of Rs.50 lakh. Allegations have been made regarding the misappropriation of assets exceeding Rs.2,000 crore in this equity transaction.
The case stems from a complaint filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy. He accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to acquire shares of the National Herald newspaper and its associated company, AJL, by using funds in a way that violated laws.
In his private complaint, former Union Minister Subramanian Swamy accused Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda, and the Gandhi family-controlled Young Indian of offenses including cheating, criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and misappropriation of property.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), On April 15 2025, submitted a prosecution complaint against the Gandhis, along with Congress leader Sam Pitroda and others involved.