New Delhi: A Delhi court issued notices to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in connection with the ongoing National Herald money laundering case. The development came during the second hearing at the Rouse Avenue Court, with the next hearing scheduled for May 8.

This marks a shift from the court's earlier stance on April 25, when it declined to issue notices to the Congress leaders. At that time, the court directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to submit additional relevant documents and rectify deficiencies in its filing.

The case stems from a chargesheet filed by the ED in the Rouse Avenue Court, in which Sonia Gandhi, former Congress president, and Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, have been named as accused. Other individuals mentioned in the chargesheet include senior Congress leaders Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey.

The roots of the case trace back to the National Herald newspaper, established in 1938 by India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Once a symbol of the country’s freedom struggle, the paper was published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL) but ceased operations in 2008 due to financial difficulties.

Subsequently, in 2010, a new company—Young India Private Limited (YIL)—was formed, with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi reportedly holding a 38% stake each. In 2012, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy alleged that YIL had fraudulently acquired AJL's assets, valued at over ₹2,000 crore, for a mere ₹50 lakh. He termed the transaction a case of fraud and money laundering, prompting a prolonged legal and investigative process.