The Delhi High Court has granted senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi three weeks to respond to a plea made by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the ongoing National Herald money laundering case.
The matter came up for hearing before the High Court where the ED asked for directions relating to the proceedings in the alleged money laundering investigation.
Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi asked for a little more time to respond in court. The court agreed to let both leaders respond for three weeks.
The National Herald case remains one of the most closely watched legal and political issues of recent years. So far, the Enforcement Directorate is looking into ill-gotten gains in the purchase of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the company that publishes the National Herald newspaper. A complaint has also been received which states that properties worth hundreds of crores have been bought by Young Indian Pvt. Ltd.
The Congress party has always denied any of the allegations, claiming that the case is politically motivated. Party leaders have argued that no money laundering has taken place and have repeatedly questioned the credibility of the ED investigation.
Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have both appeared before the Enforcement Directorate earlier in connection with the case. Their questioning had triggered a heated political controversy; Congress workers in a number of cities protested, and party leaders accused the Central Government of using investigative agencies to investigate opposition leaders.
The Delhi High Court did not address the merits of the ED’s application at the court’s hearing but only the procedural issues and instead let the Congress leaders have more time to present their case to the court.
Legal experts say that giving time to respond is a routine judicial procedure that allows parties to give the case a hearing before making any arguments. The court, they say, will decide further after receiving Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi’s responses.
The National Herald case has been through many rounds of litigation in the last few years in the form of trial courts, appellate courts, and the Delhi High Court. It has political implications because two of the Congress party’s most prominent leaders have been involved.
The Enforcement Directorate insists that the investigation is based on evidence and applicable provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Meanwhile, the Congress leadership insists the allegations are baseless and that the legal process will ultimately establish their innocence.
The Delhi High Court is expected to hear the matter again once again after the three-week period to give replies. Any further direction on the ED’s plea will depend upon both sides’ arguments and submissions at the next hearing.
