New Delhi, July 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Delhi High Court on Monday granted Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and other respondents three weeks to file their replies to the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) criminal revision petition challenging a trial court order that refused to take cognisance of its prosecution complaint in the alleged National Herald money laundering case.
Justice Manoj Jain allowed the respondents time to place their replies on record and posted the matter for further hearing on September 10.
Besides Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, the respondents include Congress Overseas Chairman Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, Sunil Bhandari, Young Indian and Dotex Merchandise Private Limited, all of whom have been named as proposed accused by the ED.
The ED has challenged the December 16, 2025 order of the Rouse Avenue Court, which declined to take cognisance of its prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), holding that the complaint was not maintainable in law.
In its revision petition, the ED has argued that the trial court erred in concluding that proceedings under the PMLA cannot be based on a scheduled offence arising out of a private complaint.
According to the agency, cognisance taken by a competent court on a private complaint carries legal validity and criminal proceedings can be initiated either through a police investigation or by filing a private complaint before a Magistrate.
During earlier proceedings, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED, contended that if the trial court’s interpretation were allowed to stand, it would render key provisions of the PMLA ineffective. He argued that the law does not prescribe any specific mode for initiating a money laundering case and only requires allegations of criminal activity linked to a scheduled offence.
The High Court had earlier issued notice to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and the other respondents after observing that the issues raised in the ED’s revision petition required judicial consideration.
The case pertains to allegations that senior Congress leaders conspired to acquire control of assets worth over ₹2,000 crore belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of the National Herald newspaper, through Young Indian for ₹50 lakh. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are majority shareholders in Young Indian.
The dispute traces its origins to 2012, when BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a private complaint alleging cheating and criminal breach of trust in connection with the acquisition of AJL by Young Indian.
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