A Delhi court on Tuesday granted temporary relief to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi by refusing to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) money laundering case in the National Herald matter. The Rouse Avenue Court held that the ED’s prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was not maintainable at this stage.
The court noted that the ED case was based on a private complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, and not on a First Information Report (FIR), which is a requirement for initiating proceedings under the PMLA. It further pointed out that the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has already registered an FIR in the case, making it “premature and imprudent” to rule on the ED’s submission before that investigation progresses.
However, the court clarified that the ED is not barred from continuing its probe into the matter.
The National Herald case dates back to 2012, when Subramanian Swamy alleged that Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and other senior Congress leaders conspired to fraudulently take over Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of the now-defunct National Herald newspaper. According to the complaint, AJL’s substantial real estate assets were allegedly acquired for a nominal amount of ₹50 lakh.
Founded in 1938 by Jawaharlal Nehru and others, the National Herald ceased publication in 2008 after accumulating debts of over ₹90 crore, though it retained properties that the ED claims are now worth around ₹5,000 crore. The agency has also alleged that these assets were misused for commercial purposes, generating “proceeds of crime” amounting to nearly ₹1,000 crore.
The court’s order sparked sharp political reactions. Congress leaders termed the case a “political witch hunt,” while the BJP accused the party of panic and frustration. The legal battle in the high-profile case is expected to continue.
