New Delhi, Dec 16 (NationPress) - A Delhi court ruled on Tuesday that Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, along with Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and several others, are not eligible to receive a copy of the latest First Information Report (FIR) filed against them by the Delhi Police concerning the National Herald case.

Overturning a previous decision by a Magistrate court, Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Courts determined that while the accused could be informed about the FIR's registration, they would not receive a copy.

This ruling was prompted by an appeal from the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police, contesting the Magistrate court’s order to provide the FIR to the accused.

The controversy arose from a new FIR registered on October 3 by the EOW, reigniting a long-standing dispute involving the National Herald newspaper and its parent entity, Associated Journals Limited (AJL).

This FIR implicates Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and six additional individuals regarding allegations of criminal conspiracy and financial irregularities. The FIR was initiated following a complaint from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after thorough examinations of financial transactions and property acquisitions related to AJL and its affiliates.

The FIR claims that the Gandhis and the others conspired to fraudulently take control of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which was the publisher of the now-defunct National Herald newspaper.

In addition to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, the FIR also lists Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, and Sunil Bhandari, along with three entities: Young Indian, Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd, and AJL.

According to court documents, on October 4, police submitted a copy of the FIR to the court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM). Just two days later, the ACJM instructed the police to inform the accused about the FIR and provide them with a copy. However, on October 8, the Delhi Police contested this ruling, leading Special Judge Vishal Gogne to suspend the Magistrate’s directives on the same day.

The police contended that the Magistrate’s ruling was inconsistent with Supreme Court precedents, as none of the accused had requested a copy of the FIR.

The FIR alleges that the conspiracy's objective was to acquire AJL, which owns assets valued at over Rs 2,000 crore, for a mere Rs 50 lakh through Young Indian, a company primarily owned by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.

In a related development, the EOW has extended its investigation, issuing a notice on December 5 to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar regarding the National Herald case.

Authorities believe that Shivakumar possesses crucial information pertinent to the case.

The notice requests comprehensive financial and transaction-related details, including the amounts contributed to Young Indian by Shivakumar and his associated firms and trusts.

Shivakumar reportedly has valuable insights linked to the FIR filed on October 3 against Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. Allegedly, Shivakumar and his brother D.K. Suresh personally contributed Rs 2.5 crore to Young Indian, alongside an additional Rs 2.5 crore donated via Shivakumar’s trusts.

Previously, the ED had interrogated the Shivakumar brothers concerning these allegations. Now, in relation to the same case, the Delhi Police has instructed Shivakumar to provide the necessary details and to appear for questioning by December 19.

The Congress party has accused the BJP leadership of leveraging investigative agencies to target opposition figures, characterizing the actions as an attempt to intimidate and harass the party's leadership.

Congress officials have consistently asserted that the case is politically motivated to tarnish the party and its senior leadership, while BJP representatives defend the investigation as a lawful action based on substantial evidence.

Earlier that day, a Delhi court declined to acknowledge the ED’s prosecution complaint in the alleged National Herald money laundering case, providing significant relief to the Gandhis and other proposed defendants.

Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Court ruled that the complaint filed by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was not valid.