The ED filed a chargesheet Congress leaders against Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. The court will decide on its cognisance on April 25.
With the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filing a chargesheet against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald money laundering case, the focus now shifts to the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi, which is set to decide on cognisance of the chargesheet on 25 April.
The chargesheet, filed on 9 April by ED’s special public prosecutor N K Matta under Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), accuses Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others of laundering ₹988 crore. According to PTI, the ED has also named Congress leaders Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey, along with Young Indian, Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd, and Sunil Bhandari as co-accused in the matter.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne, who is hearing the case, said, “The present prosecution complaint shall next be taken up for consideration on the aspect of cognisance before this court on April 25, 2025 when the special counsel for the ED and IO shall also ensure the production of the case diaries for perusal by the court.” The court directed the ED to submit a readable soft copy of the complaint and ensure proper pagination of all documents.
What Lies Ahead for Sonia and Rahul Gandhi
The 25 April hearing will be a turning point. If the special court takes cognisance of the ED’s chargesheet, it will issue summons to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and the other accused. Once summoned, the Congress leaders will be required to appear before the court and seek bail.
At this stage, the court will decide whether the evidence furnished by the ED merits the grant of bail. If the ED argues that the accused may tamper with or destroy evidence, the agency may oppose their bail applications. In such a scenario, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi could face the risk of arrest if the court denies them bail.
Should the court grant bail, the case will move to the next phase, where it will examine whether there is sufficient ground to frame charges based on the evidence and documents submitted. If the court finds the evidence inadequate, the accused will get a reprieve. Otherwise, the case will proceed to trial with witness testimonies and scrutiny of documents, ultimately leading to a decision on whether the accused are guilty or should be acquitted.
National Herald Money Laundering Case
The ED has informed the court that it will move an application before the Principal District and Sessions Judge to transfer the case related to the predicate offence—alleged cheating and criminal conspiracy—from another court to that of Judge Gogne. The court observed that the predicate offence and the PMLA charges must be tried together by the same court, but clarified that the authority to transfer the case lies with the Principal District Judge.
The case stems from a 2014 complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, which alleged a criminal conspiracy involving the Gandhis and other senior Congress leaders. The ED began its investigation in 2021 after the complaint was taken cognisance of by a magistrate in Delhi’s Patiala House Court.
The ED claims its probe has found that Young Indian—a company beneficially owned by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi—acquired the Associated Journals Limited (AJL)’s assets worth over ₹2,000 crore for just ₹50 lakh. It has also alleged that properties linked to AJL and Young Indian were used to generate bogus donations, fake advance rents, and inflated advertisement revenues totalling over ₹85 crore.
Last week, the agency said it had issued notices to take possession of immovable assets worth ₹661 crore, which had earlier been attached as part of the probe. The legal proceedings have continued despite challenges and were allowed to proceed by both the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court.
The prosecution complaint is set to be taken up for consideration before Rouse Avenue Court on April 25, 2025.
(With PTI Inputs)
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