In a move that has drawn sharp criticism from the Congress, the Delhi High Court received written submissions from Rahul and Sonia Gandhi challenging the Enforcement Directorate’s 2021 ECIR in the National Herald money‑laundering case.
The complaint was lodged by former Union Minister Subramanian Swamy in 2014, but the ED only registered the ECIR on June 30, 2021, a delay the Gandhis argue signals the agency’s reluctance to pursue the case on a private complaint alone.
Rahul Gandhi said the seven‑year gap shows the ED believed a PMLA investigation could not be launched without an FIR in a scheduled offence, a stance the agency has repeatedly defended.
On Dec. 16, 2025, a trial court dismissed the case for lacking an FIR. The next day the ED, claiming jurisdiction, appealed to the Delhi High Court; the Gandhis contend the appeal's rapid filing reveals undue haste and special treatment.
Justice Sachin Datta has adjourned the hearing to Oct. 12, 2026, where the court will decide whether the ED’s petition should be dismissed.