The Delhi High Court today granted three weeks to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others to respond to a plea by the Enforcement Directorate, ED. The ED had challenged a trial court order that refused to take cognisance of its chargesheet against the three in the National Herald-linked money laundering case. Justice Manoj Jain listed the matter for hearing on 10th of September after the respondents sought time to file their replies.
Earlier, on 22nd of December last year, the high court had issued notice to the Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others on the main petition as well as on the ED’s application seeking a stay on the 16th December trial court order, which held that cognisance of the agency’s complaint in the case was impermissible in law as it was not founded on an FIR.
The ED has accused Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, as well as late Congress leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes, along with Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda, and a private company, Young Indian, of conspiracy and money laundering. It has been alleged that they acquired properties worth approximately Rs 2,000 crore belonging to the Associated Journals Limited, which published the National Herald newspaper.
