Congress Parliamentary Social gathering chairperson Sonia Gandhi. File.
| Picture Credit score: PTI
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi representing Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Friday argued that Enforcement Directorate’s National Herald case was “actually a wierd” one.
Mr. Singhvi started his rebuttal after extra solicitor normal S.V. Raju for ED on July 3 concluded his arguments on the purpose of cognisance of the chargesheet filed within the case.
“That is actually a wierd case. Greater than unusual. Unprecedented. That is an alleged case of cash laundering, with none property, with out use or projection of property,” Mr. Singhvi argued.
The ED has accused Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, late Congress leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes apart from Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda and a non-public firm Younger Indian of conspiracy and cash laundering over the fraudulent takeover of properties valued over ₹2,000 crore belonging to the Related Journals Restricted (AJL), which printed Nationwide Herald newspaper.
ED alleges Gandhis held the bulk 76% shares in Younger Indian, which fraudulently usurped property of AJL, in change for a ₹90 crore mortgage.
Singhvi, nevertheless, submitted that the train was undertaken to make AJL debt free.
“Each firm is entitled below regulation and does, day by day, make their firms get free by a wide range of devices. So you are taking away the debt and assign it to a different entity. So this firm turns into debt free,” Mr. Singhvi stated.
He stated that Younger Indian was a not-for-profit firm.
“Means it can not give dividends, it can not give perks, it can not give salaries, it can not give these bonuses. It may give nothing,” the senior lawyer argued.
Mr. Singhvi stated the ED didn’t do something for a number of years and as an alternative picked up a non-public criticism.
“They’re, clearly folks related to the Congress. To have the Nationwide Herald in a physique not related to the Congress could be worse than having Hamlet with out the Prince of Denmark,” he stated.
Mr. Singhvi continued by mentioning the grounds on which the current court docket didn’t have the jurisdiction to strive the case.
On July 3, Mr. Raju argued on the purpose of chargesheet’s cognisance, saying the Gandhis had been the “useful house owners” of Younger Indian and bought its complete management after the dying of different shareholders.
The ED filed its chargesheet towards the Gandhis and others below Sections 3 (cash laundering) and 4 (punishment for cash laundering) of the Prevention of Cash Laundering Act (PMLA).
The chargesheet additionally names Dudey, Pitroda, Sunil Bhandari, Younger Indian, and Dotex Merchandise Non-public Restricted.
Revealed – July 04, 2025 04:28 pm IST
