Setback for ED in National Herald case; court refuses to issue notice to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi

NEW DELHI: The court has rejected the Enforcement Directorate's request to send notices to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. The Rose Avenue Court in Delhi has clarified the case further. Judge Vishal Gogne pointed out that the charge sheet filed by the ED is incomplete. The court has directed the ED to produce more documents. Special Judge Vishal Gogne stated that the court should be convinced of the need to issue notices to the Congress leaders. The case will be considered again on May 2.

The ED has registered a case on a complaint by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy that Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have embezzled assets worth crores of rupees from Associated Journals Limited, the owners of the National Herald newspaper, through a company called Young Indian, whose directors are Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Associated Journals Limited, the operating company of the National Herald newspaper, had taken an interest-free loan of Rs 90 crore from the Indian National Congress. It is alleged that when this amount was not repaid, a company called Young Indian, formed in 2010 with a capital of Rs 5 lakh, took over the assets of Associated Journals Company, which has assets worth Rs 5,000 crore.

Sonia, Rahul, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sam Pitroda and others are the directors of Young Indian Company. The case was filed by Subramanian Swamy. The complainant alleges that Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and associates have formed a company called Young India and looted AJL, a company with assets worth crores of rupees.