The Enforcement Directorate has approached the Delhi High Court against a trial court order that refused to take cognisance of its money laundering complaint in the National Herald case. The appeal seeks revival of proceedings against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken its fight against senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to the Delhi High Court after a trial court refused to take cognisance of its money laundering complaint in the National Herald case.
The appeal was filed on Friday, December 19, marking a fresh legal turn in the decade-old matter.
Recently, the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi declined to proceed with the ED’s chargesheet in the case. This order meant that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were not summoned and were protected from immediate criminal prosecution.
The trial court held that there were not enough grounds to accept the ED’s complaint at this stage. This came as a major setback to the central agency, which has been probing alleged financial irregularities linked to the National Herald newspaper for several years.
The ED believes that the trial court order is based on a “misinterpretation of evidence” and does not correctly assess the material placed on record.
Challenging this decision, the ED has now approached the Delhi High Court, seeking a detailed appellate review.
In its appeal, the agency has challenged the trial court’s reasoning point by point. The ED has argued that the lower court order “overlooks critical evidence of money laundering” and fails to appreciate the seriousness of the allegations.
Through this appeal, the agency wants the High Court to set aside the trial court’s refusal and direct it to take cognisance of the complaint, register the case, and issue summons to the accused.
According to sources, the ED has also raised concerns about procedural lapses in the trial court’s order. The agency has urged the High Court to ensure that cognisance is taken so that a fair and complete probe can continue.
If the appeal is allowed, it could revive further proceedings in the case, including possible trials, hearings, and actions related to earlier searches and attachment of properties in the Rs 5,000 crore probe.
The National Herald case traces its origin back to allegations made in 2011. The controversy revolves around claims that Congress leaders adopted a “circuitous route,” through Young Indian Private Limited, to take control of the debt-ridden Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which publishes the National Herald newspaper.
According to the ED, AJL, despite owning properties worth thousands of crores across the country, was acquired for just Rs 90.21 lakh.
The ED has alleged that this transaction amounted to laundering of “proceeds of crime.” Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are accused of being key decision-makers in Young Indian, each holding a 38 per cent stake in the company.
Over the years, the agency has carried out several actions in the case, including issuing summons and attaching assets. However, progress in the matter has often been stalled by court orders, while the Congress party has repeatedly described the investigation as an act of political “vendetta.”
The Delhi High Court is now expected to examine whether the trial court was correct in refusing to take cognisance of the ED’s complaint, a decision that could significantly impact the future course of the high-profile National Herald case.
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