Rahul, Sonia Gandhi Get Relief In National Herald Case: ED May File Fresh Complaint After EOW Probe

Last Updated:December 16, 2025, 12:10 IST

National Herald Case: A Delhi court on Tuesday refused to take note of the ED’s money laundering case against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others

Rahul and Sonia Gandhi. (PTI File)

Amid the Delhi court relief for Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case on Tuesday, the Enforcement Directorate’s investigation team is likely to wait for the Delhi Police to complete its Economic Offences Wing (EOW) probe before moving ahead with a fresh prosecution complaint, said ED sources.

The court refused to take note of the ED’s money laundering case against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and six others in the National Herald case. The court, however, said the central agency could continue its probe in the matter.

The Delhi court also ruled that Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and several others are not entitled to be given a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) registered against them by the Delhi Police in connection with the case.

“Nothing in the law prevents the ED from filing a prosecution complaint afresh at this stage when a predicate offence First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged by the EOW," said sources.

But then ED is likely to wait for the EOW charge sheet. The ED team has already provided all documentary evidence to the EOW and is hopeful of EOW completing its probe very soon, said sources.

The EOW of the Delhi Police had on November 30 filed a new FIR against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, along with six others, in connection with the alleged irregular acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL).

The case is based on allegations that the leaders and their associates worked together to wrongly take control of the company, which was earlier linked to the Congress and had properties worth about Rs 2,000 crore.

According to the FIR dated October 3, the takeover was carried out through Young Indian, a company in which the Gandhis together held 76 per cent of the shares.

The police action was a result of complaint submitted by the Headquarters Investigative Unit (HIU) of the ED. The ED had shared its detailed findings from its probe into the National Herald money laundering case, covering the period between 2008 and 2024.

Sharing of information under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) allows the ED to request another agency to register and investigate a scheduled offence. Once such an offence is recorded, it becomes the basis — or predicate offence — for the ED to continue its own money laundering probe.

The ED’s investigation is based on a private complaint filed by former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Subramanian Swamy. A metropolitan magistrate at Patiala House had taken cognisance of the complaint in June 2014, setting the legal process in motion. Since then, the ED has been conducting an inquiry into the alleged irregularities linked to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) and its acquisition.

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