National Herald case: Delhi HC to hear ED's appeal on April 20

The Delhi High Court on Monday rescheduled the hearing for the Enforcement Directorate's appeal in the National Herald case to April 20. The appeal challenges a trial court order that declined to take cognisance of the agency's PMLA complaint.

The Delhi High Court on Monday renotified the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) appeal in the National Herald case for April 20, after the Court said it could not take up the matter for hearing today.

The case was listed before a bench headed by Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma. When the matter was called out, the judge observed that the Court would not be able to hear the case during the course of the day and therefore directed that it be rescheduled for April 20.

ED Challenges Lower Court's Order

The appeal has been filed by the Enforcement Directorate challenging the order of the Rouse Avenue Court, which declined to take cognisance of the agency's prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the National Herald case.

Among those arrayed as respondents in the matter are Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, along with other individuals and entities.

The ED has argued that the trial court erred in holding that proceedings under the PMLA cannot continue in the absence of an FIR in the scheduled offence, contending that the law does not mandate such a requirement where cognisance has already been taken on a private complaint.

The matter will now be taken up by the High Court on April 20 for further hearing.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)