Significant Legal Victory for Congress Leadership in Delhi Court
In a development that provides substantial breathing room for the Congress top brass, a special court in Delhi has declined to move forward with the chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding the high-profile National Herald case. On Tuesday, the Rouse Avenue Court dismissed the agency's request to take legal notice of the money laundering allegations levelled against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and other associated entities.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne, presiding over the matter, identified a critical technical issue with the ED's submission. The court ruled that the complaint lodged under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was legally unsustainable in its current form. The judge explained that the case was built upon a private complaint rather than a formal First Information Report (FIR), which is a prerequisite for such proceedings.
Who Was Named?
Beyond the Gandhi family, the central agency had also listed several other prominent figures and entities as accused. These included Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, and companies such as Young Indian, Dotex Merchandise, and Sunil Bhandari. The ED has long argued that the transfer of Associated Journals Limited (AJL) assets involved illicit financial maneuvering and forgery, claiming properties worth over ₹2,000 crore were misappropriated.
ED Likely to Challenge the Order
Despite this setback, sources indicate that the Enforcement Directorate is preparing to fight back. Legal experts within the agency are reportedly reviewing the detailed judgment to formulate an appeal. They contend that the judge may have overlooked specific precedents set by the Supreme Court in the Vijay Madanlal Choudhary judgment, arguing that the cognizance of the offence had been established earlier.
Congress Calls it "Victory of Truth"
The Congress party reacted swiftly to the news, taking to social media to celebrate what they termed a triumph of truth. In an official statement, the party asserted that the court's decision exposes the "malicious intent" of the ruling government. They reiterated their stance that the entire investigation was a "political vendetta" designed to target the opposition without any actual evidence of money trails or property transfers.
Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi highlighted that the case lacked substance from the start, noting that no money or immovable property had actually changed hands, making the money laundering charges baseless.
