In a significant development in the National Herald case, a Delhi court has refused to acknowledge the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and other accused parties. The Rouse Avenue Court stated that the ED's investigation stemmed from a private complaint, not an official First Information Report (FIR).

The court has also ruled that Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and the other accused are not entitled to a copy of the FIR at this stage. However, the court has granted permission for the ED to continue its investigation into the matter.

The case originates from a private complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, leading to summons from a magistrate, rather than an FIR. The ED has accused Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, along with deceased Congress leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda, and Young Indian, a private company, of conspiracy and money laundering.

The Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) had registered an FIR against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others based on a complaint by the ED, as part of its money laundering probe into the National Herald case.

The Congress party has reacted strongly, accusing the BJP of engaging in "politics of harassment, intimidation, and vendetta" against its leaders. They insist the National Herald case is "completely bogus" and express confidence that justice will prevail. The BJP has refuted these allegations, with senior leader Ravi Shankar Prasad stating that the complaint dates back to 2008, before Narendra Modi became Prime Minister. Prasad urged the Congress to account for their actions and allow the law to take its course.

The National Herald case involves allegations of misappropriation of assets related to the National Herald newspaper, which was founded by Jawaharlal Nehru. The crux of the matter lies in a loan given by the Congress party to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the company that published the newspaper. Subsequently, Young Indian, a company in which Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi held majority shares, acquired AJL. Swamy has alleged that this transaction was a means of grabbing assets worth a substantial amount. The Gandhis and other Congress leaders have denied these allegations, asserting that no assets were misappropriated and that the transactions were legitimate commercial decisions.