Trouble appears to be mounting once again for senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police has registered a fresh FIR against both leaders in connection with the matter.The EOW has filed this new FIR under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The FIR, lodged on October 3 based on a complaint by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), includes the names of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and six other individuals. Three companies have also been named in the complaint.What Is the National Herald Case?The National Herald newspaper, published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL), was founded by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1937. The newspaper was considered the primary publication of the Indian National Congress. Known as a prominent nationalist newspaper during India’s independence movement, National Herald ceased publication in 2008 due to severe financial distress.AJL, burdened by heavy debt, announced in 2010 that it could no longer repay its loans. On November 23, 2010, a non-profit organisation called Young Indian was formed. Its directors included Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda, and on December 13, 2010, Rahul Gandhi was appointed to the board. Shortly thereafter, AJL’s shares were transferred to Young Indian through a deal, and a debt of Rs 90 crore was settled for just Rs 50 lakh. On January 22, 2011, Sonia Gandhi also joined as a director. Together, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi hold a 76% stake in Young Indian.The Congress party had extended loans amounting to Rs 90 crore to AJL over time due to its financial troubles, which is considered a violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, as political parties are not permitted to issue loans.How the Case Reached CourtIn 2012, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a petition in Delhi’s Patiala House Court accusing Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, Sam Pitroda, and Suman Dubey of illegally acquiring the loss-making National Herald newspaper through fraud and misappropriation of funds. He alleged that Young Indian was created to seize control of National Herald’s assets and unlawfully acquire AJL.Swamy further claimed that the move was aimed at taking possession of the Herald House building on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg in Delhi, valued at approximately Rs 2,000 crore. He demanded criminal proceedings, stating that a company worth Rs 2,000 crore was taken over for merely Rs 50 lakh.In June 2014, the court issued summons to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and other accused. In August 2014, the ED initiated a money-laundering investigation. In December 2015, Patiala House Court granted bail to all the accused.