Delhi Police Registers Fresh FIR Against Congress Leaders in National Herald Case

The Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has filed a fresh First Information Report (FIR) against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in connection with the decade-old National Herald case. The FIR, lodged following a complaint from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), alleges criminal conspiracy, cheating, and criminal breach of trust tied to the acquisition of assets belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of the National Herald newspaper.

The ED contends that a scheme was orchestrated to transfer AJL assets, valued at more than 988 crore rupees, to the private company Young Indian (YI) for a nominal 50 lakh rupees. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, who together hold a 76 per cent stake in Young Indian, are named as ultimate beneficiaries. The allegations focus on a 2010 transaction in which the All India Congress Committee (AICC) assigned its right to recover an outstanding 90.21 crore rupee loan from AJL to Young Indian for 50 lakh rupees. The transfer allegedly allowed Young Indian to gain control of nearly all of AJL’s shares and valuable real estate.

The ED had previously filed a chargesheet and attached AJL properties worth 751.91 crore rupees as part of a money-laundering probe. The case, initially triggered by a private complaint from political figure Subramanian Swamy in 2013, has been repeatedly dismissed by the Congress party as politically motivated. Reacting to the registration of an FIR against Congress leaders in connection with the National Herald case, the BJP said that the Congress party’s attempt to dismiss the allegations is baseless. Talking to the media in New Delhi today, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged that this is a clear case of corruption and misappropriation. He said that this matter dates back to a period before the Narendra Modi government came to power.

The National Herald newspaper, founded in 1938 by Jawaharlal Nehru, has been a significant asset for the Congress party. The case has been a point of contention between the Congress and BJP, with both parties using it to score political points. The Delhi Police and ED’s actions are seen as a significant step in the ongoing legal battle, with the potential to have far-reaching implications for the political landscape in India.