What Is the National Herald Case? How Did The Acquisition Of A 1938-Era Newspaper Become A Controversy? News24 –

Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are under scrutiny after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a chargesheet against them and several others. The charges stem from an alleged money laundering case linked to the National Herald affair. Apart from Gandhis, Sam Pitroda is also named on the chargesheet. What exactly is the National Herald Case? How are they charged? Here is a glimpse into the case.

What Exactly Is This National Herald Case?

The National Herald case revolves around allegations related to the acquisition of the National Herald newspaper, which was founded in 1938 by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) names prominent Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, as well as Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda. This is not a new case—it dates back to 2012, when BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a petition. The move prompted a trial court to allow the Income Tax Department to investigate the financial affairs involved in the National Herald case.

Associated Journals Limited (AJL)

The case alleges that the Gandhis, through a company named Young Indian Limited (YIL), acquired the assets of the Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of the National Herald, under questionable circumstances. According to the case, Congress leaders incorporated YIL where Sonia and Rahul had 38 per cent ownership each, with party leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes in 2010. Vora and Fernandes held 24 per cent ownership each. It is said that by this time, the AJL had been granted around Rs 90 crore in loans by Congress for the functioning of National Herald. The Congress party assigned this debt of Rs 90 crore owed to it by AJL to YIL. For the transfer of the debt, the YIL paid merely Rs 50 lakh to Congress.

In exchange for settling a debt of Rs 90 crore, about 99% of the shares of Associated Journals Limited (AJL) were reportedly transferred to Young Indian Limited (YIL). However, the controversy arises because YIL acquired this Rs 90 crore debt from the Congress party for just Rs 50 lakh, raising questions about the fairness and legality of the transaction.

The assets in question include prime properties in Delhi, Mumbai, and Lucknow – notably the iconic Herald House on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg in the heart of the national capital.

What Happened Next?

Over the years, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its investigation into the National Herald case. In 2023, it provisionally attached properties worth ₹752 crore linked to Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and Young Indian. On April 11, 2025, the ED took a further step by moving to formally take possession of immovable assets valued at ₹661 crore. Just days later, it named Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in a money laundering chargesheet, accusing them of orchestrating the transfer of assets from AJL to Young Indian through a fraudulent financial route.