The Delhi High Court has issued notices to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the protracted National Herald money laundering case, directing them to respond to a petition filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED’s petition sought an expedited investigation and the removal of the stay on the attachment of the accused’s assets.
The case concerns allegations that Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of the National Herald newspaper, transferred assets at a significantly undervalued price to Young Indian Private Limited. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi hold majority stakes in Young Indian. The ED alleges that AJL, unable to repay a ₹90 crore loan taken from the Congress party, transferred assets worth hundreds of crores to Young Indian for just ₹50 lakh, resulting in the alleged misuse of government assets.
Earlier, the ED had attached assets worth approximately ₹752 crore belonging to Young Indian and AJL. The accused had challenged the attachment before appellate authorities. In its latest petition, the ED requested that the High Court expedite the ongoing investigation. In response, the court issued notices to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and other accused, directing them to file a detailed affidavit addressing the ED’s claims. The next hearing has been scheduled for February 2026.
The case has intensified political debate. The Congress party has strongly condemned the proceedings, calling them politically motivated and aimed at harassing its leaders. Conversely, BJP leaders have defended the investigation, asserting that the law is taking its due course as part of anti-corruption efforts.