New Delhi: A city court on Thursday (May 8) deferred hearing in the National Herald money laundering case against former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to May 21 and 22.
Special judge Vishal Gogne noted that a notice to co-accused Sam Pitroda was sent via email on Thursday and hence, it was appropriate to hear arguments on the cognisance of the chargesheet, filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), on the next date of hearing.
Court earlier issued notice to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi
The court earlier on May 2 issued notices to the Congress leaders and said that their right to be heard was available at the time of cognisance of the chargesheet.
The court on May 2 had also issued notice to Congress leader Pitroda and Suman Dubey, and “Young Indian”, Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd and Sunil Bhandari.
The ED began its probe into the matter in 2021 after a magisterial court took cognisance of a private complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on June 26, 2014 accusing Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others of fraud in acquiring the property of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) valued at over 2,000 crores.
ED filed chargesheet in the money laundering case on April 9
The ED filed the prosecution complaint (chargesheet) in the National Herald money laundering case on April 9 under various Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) sections and has sought punishment for the accused persons under section 4 of PMLA where jail term can extend up to seven years.
Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi have been named as accused in the case
While former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has been named as an accused no 1 in the money laundering case, the ED has named her son and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi as an accused no 2. The other accused in the case includes Congress associates Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda, companies Young Indian and Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd and Sunil Bhandari (of Dotex Merchandise).
