Delhi court refuses to issue notices to Sonia, Rahul Gandhi in National Herald case: ’Cannot pass such order until...’

The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on Friday refused to issue notice to former Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald money laundering case and has asked the Enforcement Directorate to first fill the deficiencies in the chargesheet.

After hearing the ED's pleas, the court said that they will decide the matter again on 2 May.

Special judge Vishal Gogne was acting on a plea of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which claimed cognisance of the complaint (ED's equivalent to a chargesheet) cannot be taken without hearing the accused according to the new provisions of law.

"Don't want this order to be prolonged. Let notice be issued," ED told the court.

However, the judge, said before the court is satisfied that notice is required, it couldn't "pass such an order".

Before court passes any order, it has to see if there is any deficiency, the judge added.

"There are certain documents missing in the chargesheet as highlighted by the Ahlmad. ED is directed to file those documents. After that the court will decide the issue of notice," the court said.

The ED said it was "very transparent".

"Not hiding anything. Giving chance to them to come and give their point before cognisance is taken," the ED told the court.

Earlier, the matter was listed in Friday for the point of cognisance in the chargesheet, which was filed before the court on 9 April.

Not scared:

Earlier on Saturday, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge came out in support of party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi after ED named them in chargesheet and attached National Herald properties, and termed it as ‘vendetta’.

While referring to ED action on Gandhis and attaching National Herald properties, Kharge said, “All this done out of vendetta.”

The Congress chief said it could not be a mere coincidence that ED action took place immediately after the AICC session.

The Enforcement Directorate had filed a chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others before a special court here in the National Herald case, accusing them of laundering ₹988 crore.

With agency inputs.