New Delhi: The Delhi High Court is set to hear a significant plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate challenging a trial court decision in the National Herald-linked money laundering case involving senior Congress leaders.
The case concerns Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, along with other individuals and entities, including Sam Pitroda and Young Indian. The matter will be heard by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma.
The ED has approached the high court after a trial court refused to take cognisance of its prosecution complaint in December 2025. The lower court had ruled that the complaint was not legally maintainable as it was not based on a formal First Information Report for the alleged predicate offence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
In its appeal, the ED has argued that the trial court’s interpretation raises a critical legal issue and could affect similar cases. The agency maintains that money laundering proceedings can proceed even when the underlying offence originates from a private complaint rather than a police registered FIR.
The case stems from allegations that assets worth around Rs 2,000 crore belonging to Associated Journals Limited, which publishes the National Herald newspaper, were improperly acquired. The ED claims that a company, Young Indian, in which the Gandhis are majority shareholders, gained control over these assets through a financial arrangement linked to a loan of Rs 90 crore.
The trial court had noted that although a private complaint had been filed earlier, investigative agencies had not registered an FIR in connection with the alleged offences, leading to its decision to reject the ED’s complaint.
The enforcement agency has contended that such reasoning could create a legal gap, potentially allowing certain financial crimes to escape scrutiny based on procedural grounds. The high court’s decision is expected to clarify the legal framework governing money laundering cases initiated through private complaints.
