New Delhi, 22 December (H.S.): The Delhi High Court issued notices to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on Monday regarding a petition filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) challenging a trial court's refusal to take cognizance of the chargesheet in the National Herald money laundering case, with the next hearing scheduled for March 12, 2026.
The Rouse Avenue Court had rejected cognizance of the ED's chargesheet against the Gandhi duo on December 16, ruling that it could not proceed based on a private complaint. The ED contested this order, with Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju rebutting the family's claim of no control over Associated Journals Limited (AJL)—the original publisher of National Herald—asserting AJL's central role in the matter.
Rahul Gandhi's lawyer R.S. Cheema argued that the Congress sought to preserve AJL, founded in 1937 by Jawaharlal Nehru, J.B. Kripalani, Rafi Ahmad Kidwai, and other leaders as part of the freedom movement, questioning why the ED withheld AJL's Memorandum of Association stipulating alignment with Congress policies.
Sonia Gandhi's counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi described the ED's case as astonishing, lacking any asset reference in this unprecedented money laundering probe, emphasizing Young Indian's actions lawfully debt-relieved AJL—a standard corporate practice—and decrying the delay until a private complaint triggered action.
The court had summoned Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and five others on May 2 following the ED's April 15 prosecution complaint under Sections 44 and 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, naming the Rajya Sabha member, Lok Sabha Opposition Leader, and Sam Pitroda as accused.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
