National Herald Case: Rouse Avenue Court Declines to Take Cognisance of ED Chargesheet in National Herald Case

In a major relief for the Gandhi family, the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi has refused to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate’s chargesheet in the National Herald money laundering case. The court clarified that while the ED is free to continue its investigation, the chargesheet cannot be taken up at this stage on technical grounds. The ED had named Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, Sunil Bhandari, Young Indian, and Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd as accused, alleging laundering of assets worth over ₹2,000 crore. However, the court observed that no FIR was registered by any investigative agency, which is mandatory for establishing a predicate offence under money laundering laws. Congress welcomed the decision, calling it vindication of its claim of political targeting, while the BJP said the investigation is still open and ongoing.