National Herald case: ED challenges Sonia-Rahul Gandhi acquittal, appeals in Delhi High Court

National Herald case: Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court recently rejected ED's chargesheet, sparing Sonia and Rahul Gandhi from prosecution by deeming evidence inadequate- a major blow to the agency's long probe into National Herald's alleged financial misconduct.

New Delhi:

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has escalated its long-running battle against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, filing an appeal in the Delhi High Court on Friday (December 19) to overturn a trial court's refusal to take cognizance of its money laundering complaint in the National Herald case.

Trial court rejects ED's chargesheet

Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi recently declined to proceed with the ED's chargesheet, effectively shielding Sonia and Rahul Gandhi from immediate prosecution. The court found insufficient grounds to accept the complaint, marking a significant setback for the agency's decade-old investigation into alleged financial irregularities at the National Herald newspaper. This decision prompted swift backlash from the ED, which views it as a misinterpretation of evidence.

ED's High Court challenge

In its Delhi High Court appeal, the ED contests the trial court's findings point-by-point, arguing that the order overlooks critical evidence of money laundering. The agency seeks an appellate review to compel the lower court to register the case and summon the accused, potentially reviving raids, attachments, and trials tied to the Rs 5,000 crore probe. Sources indicate the appeal questions procedural lapses and urges the High Court to direct cognisance for a fair probe.

National Herald Case background

The controversy stems from 2011 allegations that Congress leaders used a circuitous route, via Young Indian Pvt Limited, to acquire the debt-ridden Associated Journals Ltd (publishers of National Herald) for Rs 90.21 lakh, despite properties worth thousands of crores. ED alleges this amounted to laundering proceeds of crime, with Sonia and Rahul as key figures holding 38 per cent stakes each in Young Indian. Previous actions included asset attachments and summons, but courts have repeatedly stalled progress amid political accusations of vendetta