New Delhi: The Delhi High Court is set to hear on Monday a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) challenging a trial court order that granted relief to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the alleged National Herald money laundering case.
According to the court’s causelist, a single-judge Bench of Justice Ravinder Dudeja will take up the ED’s criminal revision petition against the Rouse Avenue Court’s decision to reject its prosecution complaint filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Earlier, Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Court had declined to take cognisance of the agency’s complaint, observing that it was not legally maintainable. While granting relief to the Gandhis, the court, however, permitted the ED to continue its investigation in accordance with law.
Apart from Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, the ED had named Congress Overseas chief Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, Sunil Bhandari, Young Indian, and Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd as proposed accused in the case.
The high-profile matter concerns allegations that senior Congress leaders conspired to acquire control of assets worth over ₹2,000 crore belonging to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), publisher of the National Herald, through Young Indian, a company in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are majority shareholders.
The ED has argued that the case involves a “serious economic offence” and alleged that Young Indian was created to usurp AJL’s assets by paying a nominal ₹50 lakh. The agency has further claimed that fabricated transactions, including fake rent receipts and advance payments, were used to mask the deal.
The Congress leadership has repeatedly dismissed the allegations, calling the ED’s case “baseless” and “politically motivated.” The controversy dates back to 2012, when BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a complaint accusing Congress leaders of cheating and breach of trust in the acquisition of AJL.
(Inputs from IANS)