NEW DELHI | December 16, 2025 — In a significant legal relief for senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, a Delhi trial court on Monday refused to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) prosecution complaint in the National Herald money laundering case.
Importantly, the ruling was delivered by the Rouse Avenue Special Court, not the Delhi High Court, as widely but incorrectly reported in some quarters.
Court’s Ruling
Special Judge Vishal Gogne held that the ED’s case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was not legally sustainable at this stage due to the absence of a valid “predicate offence.”
The judge ruled that the ED’s investigation stemmed from a private complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, rather than a formally registered First Information Report (FIR) for a scheduled offence — a mandatory legal requirement under the PMLA framework.
The court observed that taking cognisance of the ED’s complaint without a foundational FIR was “impermissible in law.”
No Finding on Merits
Clarifying the scope of the order, the court stressed that the rejection was purely on a technical question of law and did not amount to an examination of the evidence or allegations against the accused.
Fresh FIR Keeps Case Alive
The court also noted that the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has recently registered a fresh FIR related to the matter. In light of this development, the judge stated that both the ED and the EOW are free to continue their investigation based on the new FIR, despite the dismissal of the current chargesheet.
Political Reactions
The Congress Party welcomed the order, calling it a “moral and legal victory,” and alleged that the case reflected a “decade-long campaign of political vendetta” by the ruling establishment.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, maintained that the case remains active, asserting that the court’s order was based on technical grounds and that investigations linked to the newly registered FIR would proceed.
Case at a Glance
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Rouse Avenue Special Court, New Delhi |
| Judge | Special Judge Vishal Gogne |
| Accused | Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and five others |
| Key Reason | Absence of a valid predicate offence (FIR) |
| Current Status | ED chargesheet rejected; probe may continue based on fresh FIR |
The ruling marks a temporary setback for the Enforcement Directorate but leaves the door open for further legal proceedings depending on the outcome of investigations linked to the newly registered FIR.
