New Delhi: A fresh FIR filed by the Delhi Police against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and other Congress leaders in the National Herald case has triggered a wave of political accusations, with Congress leaders dismissing it as a politically motivated attempt to harass and intimidate the opposition. The FIR, registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on October 3, 2025, is based on a complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress spokesperson and legal counsel for the Gandhis, has strongly criticized the move, calling it a "BJP afterthought to rescue [an] illegal case". Singhvi argues that the FIR is a belated attempt to address a "huge jurisdictional gap" in the case, particularly the absence of a predicate offense, which is a prerequisite for initiating a money laundering investigation. He claims that the ED is trying to retroactively fit a "scheduled offense" to legitimize its case, which he believes is fundamentally weak.
The National Herald case dates back to 2012, initiated by a complaint from BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. It revolves around allegations that the Gandhis fraudulently acquired Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of the National Herald newspaper, through Young Indian, a company in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi hold a 76% stake. The ED alleges that AJL's assets, worth approximately ₹2,000 crore, were acquired for a mere ₹50 lakh. The ED contends that a loan of ₹90.21 crore from the All India Congress Committee (AICC) to AJL was fraudulently assigned to Young Indian for a nominal sum, allowing the company to gain control over AJL's assets.
The new FIR invokes charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, and dishonest misappropriation of property. Besides the Gandhis, it names Congress leaders Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda, Young Indian, and Dotex Merchandise Ltd, among others. The FIR also alleges the cheating of AJL's shareholders and the Indian National Congress, claiming the party was deprived of ₹90.21 crore due to the undervalued sale of loan recovery rights to Young Indian. It also points to alleged financial irregularities, including approximately ₹988 crore as proceeds of crime.
The Congress party has vehemently refuted these allegations, dismissing the FIR as "completely bogus" and a product of "vendetta politics" by the ruling BJP. They argue that the case involves no movement of money or transfer of immovable property, making the charges of money laundering baseless. Singhvi has emphasized that Young Indian is a not-for-profit company, and its directors cannot receive dividends or profits. He accused the BJP of recycling the case to divert public attention from pressing issues such as the economy, unemployment, and foreign policy.
BJP Spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad has countered these claims, asserting that the Congress party's attempts to dismiss the allegations are baseless. He stated that the matter dates back to before the current government came to power and represents a clear case of corruption and misappropriation.
The Rouse Avenue Court is scheduled to hear the matter on December 16, where it will consider taking cognizance of the ED's chargesheet. The court had previously deferred its decision on the chargesheet, affirming the accused's right to be heard. The legal battle is expected to continue, with both sides presenting their arguments and evidence before the court.
