National Herald case: Gandhi family seeks time to file reply, Delhi HC adjourns hearing to March 9

In the National Herald money laundering case, the Delhi High Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing on the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) appeal challenging the Rouse Avenue Court’s decision to refuse cognisance of the charge sheet filed against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others. The ED has filed a prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the case.

The respondents in the case include Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, along with others. The ED has contended that the trial court erred in holding that proceedings under the PMLA cannot continue in the absence of an FIR in the scheduled offence, arguing that the law does not mandate such a requirement where cognisance has already been taken on a private complaint.

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Notably, the Delhi HC bench, headed by Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma, renotified the ED’s petition for hearing on 09 March after the Gandhi family and other parties requested more time to place their response.

During the hearing, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Gandhi family, sought an additional two weeks to file their reply. He also requested that the next hearing be scheduled for 09 March.

However, Senior Advocate Pramod Dubey, appearing for one of the firms arrayed as a respondent, asked for four weeks to place the reply on record, stating that his party was served with the appeal at a very late stage.

The court adjourned the matter to 09, after taking note of all the submissions by the parties involved in the case.