In a setback for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), a Delhi court on Friday refused to immediately issue notices to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the high-profile National Herald money laundering case, citing the absence of necessary documents in the chargesheet.
The ED had requested the court to issue notices to the Gandhis, named as accused numbers one and two, stating that cognisance of the complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) could not be taken without first hearing the accused. “Don’t want this order to be prolonged. Let notice be issued,” the ED urged.
However, Special Judge Vishal Gogne observed that certain critical documents were missing in the chargesheet, as pointed out by the court’s record keeper (Ahlmad), and stated that the court must first assess any deficiencies before proceeding. “There are certain documents missing in the chargesheet… ED is directed to file those documents. After that the court will decide the issue of notice,” the judge said.
The agency defended itself by claiming full transparency, asserting that it was “not hiding anything” and was merely seeking to present the accused with an opportunity to respond before the court took cognisance of the complaint.
Charges Against the Gandhis
Apart from Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, the ED has also named Sam Pitroda, head of the Congress party’s overseas cell, and Suman Dubey, a former journalist and close associate of the Gandhi family, as founding directors of Young Indian Private Limited (YI).
Sonia and Rahul Gandhi reportedly own a 76% stake in YI. According to the ED, this company illegally acquired the assets of Associated Journals Limited (AJL) — the publisher of the National Herald newspaper — for a mere ₹50 lakh. The agency claims the assets, which included prime real estate, were worth approximately ₹2,000 crore at the time and are now estimated to be valued at ₹5,000 crore.
The ED’s chargesheet outlines alleged “proceeds of crime” amounting to ₹988 crore, including real estate and other assets worth ₹755 crore, shares worth ₹90 crore, and ₹142 crore in rent collected by AJL from properties in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Indore, Panchkula, Lucknow, and Patna since the financial year 2010–11, after YI took control.
The case remains a politically sensitive one, with opposition leaders accusing the government of using central agencies to target political rivals. The next hearing is expected after the ED submits the required documents and rectifies the noted deficiencies.
Sources By Agencies
