Senior legal counsel representing Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi presented detailed arguments before the Delhi High Court, contending that financial enforcement actions initiated by the Enforcement Directorate in the National Herald matter lack valid statutory jurisdiction. The defense argued that proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act cannot be legally maintained solely upon an unadjudicated private criminal complaint without a registered police FIR for a scheduled offense.
Senior advocates representing the political leadership emphasized that statutory money laundering investigations require the existence of concrete proceeds of crime generated through an underlying predicate offense investigated by statutory law enforcement agencies. The defense submitted that substituting a private complainant’s allegations for an official police investigation subverts established criminal jurisprudence and subjects political figures to unjustified financial attachment orders.
Opposing the quashing petition, counsel appearing for the financial probe agency argued that judicial cognizance taken by a competent magistrate on a private complaint constitutes sufficient legal bedrock to examine illicit asset transfers. The High Court bench heard extensive submissions regarding statutory interpretations and scheduled subsequent hearings to conclude oral arguments.
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Sources:
https://indianexpress.com/archive/2026/09/22/