In a huge relief to senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on Tuesday refused to take cognisance of a complaint by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the National Herald case. Special Judge Vishal Gogne said that the central probe agency's complaint filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is 'not maintainable'.
"Complaint dismissed," Gogne said, but noted that it may take further submissions in the case, as the Delhi Police has registered a fresh first information report (FIR). The court also said that the central probe agency may continue its probe in the matter.
The ED, in its chargesheet, had named Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda, Young Indian, Dotex Merchandise and Sunil Bhandari as the main accused in the case. It has alleged that assets worth over Rs 2,000 crore belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL) were wrongfully taken over.
The Congress has criticised the ED investigation and called it a political vendetta. However, the probe agency has justified its probe and said there was 'serious economic offence' which involved evidence of fraud and money laundering.
Congress welcomes Delhi court's decision
The Congress has welcomed the Delhi court's move to dismiss the ED chargesheet, with party MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi saying there is no 'millimeter movement of money' in the case. Speaking to reporters, he criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said it has made a 'superstructure of exaggeration'.
"I had told the court that this a very weird case where there is not a millimeter movement of money, not a millimeter movement of immovable property, all the properties remain with AJL and there is money laundering... AJL is now owned 90 per cent by another company Young India - that is all that has happened," he said.
Congress MP KC Venugopal also bashed the BJP and said the Delhi court's verdict 'vindicates' the grand old party's stand. "This is not just a relief for Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Through this judgment, the court has exposed the illegal and mala fide political targeting by the Narendra Modi government," he said.
Delhi Police files case, summons Karnataka Deputy CM
Based on ED's complaint, the Delhi Police also filed an FIR against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and other accused in the National Herald case last month. It had also issued a summons to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who it said can have 'vital information' about the case.
Shivakumar, however, had called the summons a 'harassment', vowing to fight it legally. On Monday, he said he also seek more time from the probe agency to appear before it, while adding that it will also ask the Delhi Police to provide a copy of the FIR against him.
"They (Delhi police) have not attached the FIR copy while issuing notice to me. I need FIR copy, because we had already given all the required replies to the ED. I don't know what the FIR says, I only read in papers. They have given notice, I will ask for a FIR copy. I will come next week after the Assembly session," he said.
