Delhi High Court seeks reply from Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others on ED's challenge to trial court's refusal of cognisance.
December 16 order held ED chargesheet impermissible without FIR for predicate offence; ED seeks stay and reversal.
Matter adjourned to March 12, 2026; case alleges ₹2,000 crore AJL asset misuse via Young Indian Pvt Ltd.
The Delhi High Court issued notice to Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and other accused in the long-running National Herald money laundering case, seeking their reply to a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED challenged a December 16 trial court order by Special Judge Vishal Gogne of Rouse Avenue Court, which refused to take cognisance of its prosecution complaint (chargesheet) on grounds that it was not founded on a registered FIR for the predicate offence.
Justice Ravinder Dudeja's bench issued notices on both the main criminal revision petition and the ED's separate application for a stay on the trial court's December 16 order. The court has listed the matter for further hearing on March 12, 2026.
The ED, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, argued that the trial court erred in holding that cognisance was impermissible without an FIR, asserting that judicial cognisance of the scheduled offence on a private complaint (filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in 2012) satisfies PMLA requirements. The agency has accused the Gandhis, along with Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda, late Motilal Vora, late Oscar Fernandes, and private company Young Indian Pvt Ltd, of criminal conspiracy and money laundering involving the alleged fraudulent acquisition of Associated Journals Limited (AJL) assets—worth around ₹2,000 crore—through a ₹90 crore loan from the Congress party assigned to Young Indian for just ₹50 lakh.
Senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and R.S. Cheema appeared for the Gandhis during the proceedings.
The trial court's refusal came after the ED filed its chargesheet in April 2025, following years of investigation. The lower court had observed that despite the 2014 summoning order on Swamy's complaint, no FIR was registered by CBI or police for the scheduled offence, rendering the PMLA action not maintainable. It clarified, however, that the ED could continue its probe as per law.
The development follows a recent breather for the Gandhis from the trial court but revives the legal battle in the high court. The case, originating from Swamy's 2012 private complaint, has seen multiple rounds of summons, bail grants, and appeals over allegations of cheating, breach of trust, and improper asset transfer involving the historic National Herald newspaper founded by Jawaharlal Nehru.
Congress leaders have repeatedly described the case as politically motivated vendetta, while the BJP maintains it exposes serious financial irregularities.
