National Herald Case Mystery: Why Delhi Court Delays Key Decision to Dec 16

The high-profile case arrays Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress Overseas chief Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, and others as accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne, who was expected to deliver the verdict on Saturday, has deferred the pronouncement to December 16.

The Rouse Avenue Court had reserved its order on November 7 after the ED submitted additional clarifications following the court’s inspection of the case records.

“Further submissions and clarifications have been advanced by the Additional Solicitor General on behalf of the ED in light of the inspection of the case files by the court. List for orders on November 29,” Judge Gogne had stated.

As per the ED, top Congress functionaries allegedly conspired to wrongfully acquire control of assets exceeding Rs 2,000 crore belonging to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the original publisher of the National Herald, by paying a nominal price of Rs 50 lakh.

Earlier, the court had deferred its decision, noting that further scrutiny of the transaction documents, alleged rent receipts, and fund flow patterns was required before determining whether the prosecution complaint met the statutory threshold for cognisance under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

While the ED argued that the case involves a “serious economic offence” and a conspiracy to usurp AJL’s properties through Young Indian — in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are majority stakeholders — for a nominal sum, the Congress leaders have described the money laundering allegations as "really strange" and "unprecedented".

As per the ED, a conspiracy was hatched to form Young Indian to acquire control over the vast assets of the now-defunct newspaper, aimed at benefiting the top Congress leadership personally.

The probe agency reported that several senior Congress leaders were involved in “fake transactions,” alleging that individuals, acting on their instructions, had issued fraudulent advance rent payments for years using fabricated rent receipts.

The controversy over the National Herald’s assets came into focus in 2012 when BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a complaint in a trial court, alleging that Congress leaders had engaged in cheating and breach of trust in the process of acquiring AJL.

- IANS