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Court Rejects ED Petition Against Sonia, Rahul Gandhi

By Drooid · Sep 23, 2026, 4:07 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Gandhi siblings oppose

Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi opposed the Enforcement Directorate’s petition, calling it an abuse of law.
They said the petition was not maintainable because Dec 16, 2025 order barred cognizance without a First Information Report.
The court said the complaint came from Subramanian Swamy’s private filing, which Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) bars.
The Enforcement Directorate filed a petition within 24 hours, bypassing approvals, for a hearing set on Oct 12.

Summary

Enforcement Directorate probes

The Enforcement Directorate alleges Sonia and Rahul Gandhi used Young Indian to acquire AJL assets valued over Rs 2,000 crore.
Young Indian, in which the Gandhis hold 76 % shares, allegedly paid Rs 50 lakh for loan-recovery rights.
The All India Congress Committee reportedly loaned AJL Rs 90.21 crore, later converting it into 9.02 crore equity shares for Young Indian.
Subramanian Swamy’s private 2013 complaint triggered the probe, leading to an ECIR registered on June 30 2021.

History

Historical Context

The 1992 Harshad Mehta securities scam, uncovered by the Enforcement Directorate, triggered a Rs 4,000 crore market collapse and prompted legal reforms. In response, the Indian Parliament enacted the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in 2002, granting the ED authority to seize assets exceeding Rs 1 crore. Today's allegations against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Young Indian echo that precedent, as the ED again invokes the PMLA to probe alleged Rs 2,000 crore AJL transactions. The recurrence suggests that the 1992 reforms continue shaping India’s political-financial accountability, pressuring parties to disclose funding and prompting judicial scrutiny.

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Gandhi siblings oppose

Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi opposed the Enforcement Directorate’s petition, calling it an abuse of law.
They said the petition was not maintainable because Dec 16, 2025 order barred cognizance without a First Information Report.
The court said the complaint came from Subramanian Swamy’s private filing, which Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) bars.
The Enforcement Directorate filed a petition within 24 hours, bypassing approvals, for a hearing set on Oct 12.

1 / 3