The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police has escalated its probe into the National Herald case, issuing a formal notice to Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and his brother, Member of Parliament D K Suresh. The notice demands comprehensive details of any financial transactions they or their associated entities had with Young Indian Private Limited, the company that owns the National Herald newspaper.
Details of the EOW Notice
Dated November 29, 2025, the notice requires the Shivakumar brothers to submit their responses by December 19, 2025. It specifically asks for a complete breakdown of any funds transferred to Young Indian (YI) by them, their companies, firms, or Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs). The EOW has posed pointed questions regarding the purpose of these bank transfers and any related communication with YI or individuals connected to the All India Congress Committee (AICC).
Furthermore, the investigators are keen to understand the source of the donations allegedly made by Shivakumar to Young Indian and whether formal donation certificates were issued for these contributions. The notice also instructs them to explain how these transactions were reflected in their financial statements and Income Tax Returns (ITR) for the relevant period and to provide supporting documents.
Background and Wider Investigation
This EOW action follows a fresh case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) with the Delhi Police just a week prior. The National Herald investigation, which has been ongoing for years, alleges a complex financial fraud involving the takeover of valuable assets of the Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the original publisher of the National Herald.
On April 9, 2025, the ED filed a chargesheet against seven individuals, including Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, who were also questioned in 2022. The central agency's core allegation is that prime properties, originally allotted to AJL at concessional rates for public welfare purposes, were illegally diverted for private benefit.
Allegations of Asset Misappropriation
The ED's First Information Report (FIR), registered on October 3, 2025, accuses the beneficiaries of Young Indian of orchestrating a fraudulent takeover of AJL properties with a market value exceeding Rs 2,000 crore for a mere Rs 50 lakh. The FIR, which lists charges including cheating, criminal breach of trust, and criminal conspiracy, claims these assets were then exploited through bogus rent collections and sham advertisements to launder illicit funds.
In earlier actions, the ED had moved to take possession of attached immovable assets worth Rs 661 crore located in Delhi, Mumbai, and Lucknow as part of its money laundering probe against AJL and Young Indian. The latest EOW notice to the prominent Karnataka politicians marks a significant widening of the investigative net, bringing the probe closer to the financial contributors linked to the controversial company.
