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Senior Advocate and Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Sunday sharplycriticised what he described as "strategic and selective leaks" in the National Herald case, soon after learning that the Rouse Avenue Court had stayed a magistrate's order directing service of a "belated FIR" on the accused.
Singhvi, in a post on X, said it was ironic that the accused still did not have a copy of the FIR, while "the whole world" appeared to know its contents through selective disclosures by the EOW and the ED. His remarks came hours after the Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) registered a fresh FIR in the National Herald money-laundering matter, following a complaint from the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The new FIR names six individuals in addition to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. In a detailed follow-up post, Singhvi reiterated the defence's long-standing position, saying the case was "neither new wine nor new bottle" and asserting that the allegations were baseless as there had been no movement of money or transfer of immovable assets. He argued that the premise of money laundering was "invented," since Young Indian, a not-for-profit company, merely held shares of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), which continues to own the National Herald brand and all its properties as before. Singhvi emphasised that Young Indian's directors, including the Gandhis, neither receive dividends nor enjoy any financial benefits, yet continue to face accusations of money laundering. He added that the latest FIR appears to hinge on the infusion of funds by a private company that enabled Young Indian to make assignment payments to help make AJL debt-free a transaction the defence maintains was legitimate. With the Rouse Avenue Court staying the magistrate's order, service of the newly filed FIR on the accused remains on hold until further hearing, adding another layer to the already complex and politically charged case. The FIR was registered after the ED forwarded a complaint to the Delhi Police under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, which allows the agency to request registration of a scheduled offence. Besides the two senior Congress leaders, six individuals and three companies have been named as accused. The FIR invokes IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property) and 420 (cheating). (ANI)
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