Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have received major relief in the National Herald case. A Delhi court refused to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) chargesheet, a decision seen as a legal relief for the Gandhi family. According to reports, the court observed that without a registered predicate offence, a money laundering probe cannot move forward. The order has also provided relief to five other accused in the case.

What the Court Said

The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi stated that a money laundering investigation cannot be conducted unless a proper FIR for the original offence is registered. The court clarified that under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the ED can begin its probe only after the predicate offence is formally recorded. It added that no such FIR has been registered so far, which is why the money laundering case cannot proceed.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), in its chargesheet, named Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, Sunil Bhandari, Young Indian, and Dotex Merchandise Private Limited as accused. Congress has maintained that the ED’s probe is an act of political vendetta. The ED, however, claims the case involves serious financial irregularities, including fraud and money laundering. It has been alleged that assets worth over Rs 2,000 crore belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL) were illegally taken over.

Congress Says No One Can Intimidate Us

The Congress party described the court’s decision as a “victory of truth.” In a post on social media platform X, the party said that the Modi government’s alleged misuse of power and unlawful actions have been fully exposed. Congress stated that the court found the ED’s action against its leadership, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, in the Young Indian case to be illegal and driven by bad faith. It also said the court ruled that the ED lacked jurisdiction and had no FIR, without which no case can stand.