National Herald case against Sonia, Rahul collapses; court throws out ED chargesheet
National Herald case against Sonia, Rahul collapses; court throws out ED chargesheet
M.U.H
16/12/202532
In a major relief to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case, a Delhi court on Tuesday refused to take cognisance of the National Herald money laundering chargesheet against the Congress leaders.
Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Court said the complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was not maintainable as the case was based on a private complaint and not a First Information Report (FIR). Though the cout said if ED wants it
The Congress has maintained that the Enforcement Directorate’s probe is an act of political vendetta, while the agency has asserted that the case involves a serious economic offence with evidence of forgery and money laundering. The ED has alleged that properties of Associated Journals Limited, valued at over 2,000 crore, were wrongly taken over.
Sources told India Today that Enforcement Directorate likely to appeal against the order passed by Rouse Avenue Court. Their legal team will evaluate the detailed judgment passed by the Rouse Avenue Court.
Sources said that the private complaint wasn't a simple private complaint, it was one where cognisance of the offence was already taken. ED to formulate fresh appeal to challenge this particular order. The sources said that the judge possibly has ignored the relevant paragraphs of the Vijay Madanlal Choudhary judgment.
Reacting to the development in a post on X, the Indian National Congress has reacted saying ‘Truth has triumphed.’
It further stated that “The malicious and illegal actions of the Modi government have been completely exposed. The Hon'ble Court has found the ED's actions against the Congress leadership—Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji and Shri Rahul Gandhi ji—in the Young Indian case to be unlawful and motivated by malice. The court has ruled that the ED's case is beyond its jurisdiction, as it lacks any FIR, without which no case can even be made.
This action, carried out by the Modi government over the past decade against the main opposition party, driven by political vendetta and a spirit of revenge, has today been laid bare before the entire nation.”
The Congress further said, “No money laundering case, no proceeds of crime, and no transfer of property—these are all baseless allegations fueled by petty politics, a spirit of hatred, and an intent to attack honor—which have today been thoroughly demolished. The Congress Party and our leadership remain committed to fighting for truth and the rights of every Indian—we cannot be intimidated by anyone—because we fight for truth.”
The party ended the post saying ‘Satyameva Jayate.’
Meanwhile, Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi on National Herald case, said, "When I started arguing the case... in the argument, I had told the court that this a very weird case where there is not a millimeter movement of money, not a millimeter movement of immovable property, all the properties remain with AJL and there is money laundering... AJL is now owned 90 per cent by another company Young India - that is all that has happened. The case is not worth taking cognizance of and here you see the amount of 'hulla gulla' BJP has made... they have made a superstructure of exaggeration.
However, the Delhi court ruled that Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and several others are not entitled to be given a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) registered against them by the Delhi Police in connection with the National Herald case. The Rouse Avenue Court ruled that the accused may be informed that the FIR has been registered.
