What is the National Herald case, involving the Gandhis? See complete timeline

National Herald Case: Interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi were summoned by ED on June 1 in connection with this case.

Pic Credit: File Photo

New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her MP son Rahul Gandhi have been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection to the National Herald case. According to a PTI report, Sonia Gandhi has been asked to depose in presence on ED on next Wednesday (June 8). On the other hand, it is unclear when Rahul Gandhi will appear before the probing agency. But Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi assured the press that Rahul will comply with ED's orders if he is in the city or seek a fresh date.

The National Herald case involves alleged misappropiration of assets of over ₹2,000 crore in an equity transaction. Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia are alleged to have been involved in a 'cheating and breach of trust' when Associated Journals Ltd was acquired by Young India Pvt Ltd in which the Gandhis held a majority stake.

Here is a brief timeline of the money laundering case involving Associated Journals Ltd, Young India Ltd, and Congress:

2008: The National Herald newspaper, launched by Jawaharalal Nehru in 1938, shut down with a whopping debt of over Rs 90 crore. To save the dying newspaper, the then-ruling party Congress offered a Rs 90-crore interest-free loan to the Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) to aid the newspaper in revival. However, the attempt to bring back the newspaper failed and the debt couldn't be repaid.

2010: Young India Ltd (YIL) was set up in November in which Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi held a majority share of 76%. Motilal Vora held 24% and Oscar Fernandez held 12% of the shares in the company. The Congress who had originally lended money to Associated Journals Ltd assigned the debt to Young India Ltd which meant that AJL had to payback Rs 90 crore to YIL.

Since AJL was not in a position to repay the loans, the company tranferred its shareholding to Gandhi-owned YIL for which they received Rs 50 lakh. The Gandhis are charged with taking over a publicly-held company by merely paying Rs 50 lakh considering the company had real estate properties worth Rs 2000 crore.

2012: Former Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy had filed a case against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi of cheating and misappropriation of funds in acquiring the ownership of non-functioning newspaper National Herald. 

2014: Metropolitan Magistrate Gomati Manocha summons all accused in the case, including the Gandhis. In August, ED begins a probe into a money laundering angle in the case.

2015: ED reopens the investigation on National Herald case. In December, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are granted bail by Patiala House Court.

2016: The apex court grants exemption to all five-accused in the case - Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes and Suman Dubey from appearing in court but doesn't quash proceedings against them.

2017: Delhi High Court allows Income Tax Department to investigate alleged miappropriation of funds in the case.

2018: AJL instructed to evict Herald House premises by Centre. 

2019: The ED attaches a Gurugram property worth Rs 64.93 crores under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) which they claimed was illegally alloted to AJL.

2020: Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were again taken to court in Delhi after Subramaniam Swamy filed a case accusing them of misappropriating the National Herald’s properties.

2022: In April, the ED questioned senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge in connection with the case. On June 1, the ED summoned interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi in connection with the National Herald case.