New Delhi, 09 March (H.S.): The Delhi High Court has postponed hearing the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) challenge against a trial court's refusal to take cognizance of its chargesheet in the National Herald money laundering case. Justice Swarnkanta Sharma's bench listed the matter for April 20.ED contests Rouse Avenue Court's December 16, 2025 order rejecting the chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Sam Pitroda—arguing it improperly dismissed claims of fraud against Congress donors via Associated Journals Limited (AJL), publisher of National Herald. The High Court had issued notices to the accused on December 22.

Trial court ruled private complaints cannot underpin ED action absent a predicate FIR. ASG SV Raju countered Gandhi family claims of no AJL control, stressing its core role. Defenses: Rahul's counsel RS Cheema highlighted AJL's 1937 founding by Nehru et al. as freedom movement legacy; Sonia's Abhishek Manu Singhvi called ED's case astonishing sans property proceeds, merely debt relief for Young Indian.ED filed the April 15, 2025 prosecution complaint under PMLA Sections 44-45.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar