Image: IANS New Delhi: Delhi high court Monday sought responses from Congress MPs Sonia Gandhi Rahul Gandhi and other accused on an ED plea challenging a trial court order that refused to take cognisance of the agency's charge-sheet in the National Herald money laundering case, while declining to grant any immediate stay.Justice Ravinder Dudeja issued notice on ED's petition and on a connected application seeking a stay of the Dec 16 order, listing the matter for a detailed hearing on March 12, 2026.The trial court had held that cognisance of ED's complaint was "impermissible in law" because the probe was not founded on a FIR under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), but arose from a private complaint.The case centres on alleged misuse of funds and transfer of control of Associated Journals Ltd - publisher of National Herald - to Young Indian, a private company tied to Congress functionaries. ED has accused the Gandhis, Congress functionaries Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda and Young Indian of conspiracy and money laundering.Appearing for ED, solicitor general Tushar Mehta said the trial court failed to appreciate that the PMLAprobe rested on scheduled offences of cheating and criminal conspiracy under IPC, of which cognisance had already been taken by a magistrate and upheld through Supreme Court.That placed the case on a firmer legal footing than a police FIR, he said.Mehta contended that cognisance taken by a competent court on a private complaint carried a higher legal standing than an FIR, where cognisance could still be declined even after a charge-sheet.
Author: TNN
Published at: 2025-12-22 22:37:36
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