By Admin 
On December 16, 2025, Rouse Avenue Court has refused to hear the charge sheet filed by ED in the money laundering case related to National Herald. This decision has brought great relief to Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. The court has said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) can continue the investigation if it wants.
Names of many big personalities included in the charge sheet
ED had named Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, Sunil Bhandari, Young Indian and Dotex Merchandise Private Limited in its charge sheet. On ED’s investigation, Congress’s argument was that this is an act of political vendetta, whereas ED claims that this is a serious economic crime in which evidence of fraud and money laundering has been found.
ED accuses Sonia-Rahul of big scam
ED alleges that Congress leaders, as part of a conspiracy, acquired Associated Journals Ltd. To take over the assets of (AJL) worth Rs 2,000 crore, it was acquired through private company ‘Young Indian’ for only Rs 50 lakh. Sonia and Rahul hold 76% shares of this company.
In this case, the ‘income earned from crime’ was considered to be Rs 988 crore. Also, the market value of the associated properties has been said to be Rs 5,000 crore.
Action taken to seize property before chargesheet
During the investigation on April 12, 2025, action was taken to seize the attached properties. ED had pasted notices on AJL’s building at Herald House (5A, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg) in Delhi, Bandra (East) in Mumbai and Visheshwar Nath Road in Lucknow.
Apart from these immovable properties worth Rs 661 crore, shares of AJL worth Rs 90.2 crore were attached by the ED in November 2023 to safeguard the proceeds of crime and prevent the accused from disposing of it.
What is National Herald case?
The National Herald case in which the charge sheet has been filed against Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi is related to the National Herald newspaper. It was started in 1938 by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru along with 5 thousand freedom fighters. This newspaper was published by AJL. This newspaper was closed in 2008. Then news of controversy and scam on its acquisition started emerging.