New Delhi: Enforcement Directorate has merged the complaint it shared with Delhi Police in October, seeking registration of an FIR against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others, with its existing ECIR (equivalent to an FIR) in the National Herald case, people in the know told ET.
An FIR was registered by the economic offences wing (EOW) of Delhi Police on October 3 against Sonia, Rahul and seven others on the basis of an ED complaint.
In its complaint, ED wrote to Delhi Police that its PMLA investigation has revealed "additional facts that disclose cognisable offences", which are "beyond the scope of complaint of Subramanian Swamy".
Besides Gandhis, the FIR also names Congress leaders Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda, entities like Young Indian (YI) and Dotex Merchandise, Dotex promoter Sunil Bhandari, Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) and unknown others.
ED has already filed its prosecution complaint against Gandhis and co-accused. A local court later this month will take up the agency's complaint to decide whether to take its cognisance. People quoted above told ET that ED has completed its investigation and may file a supplementary charge sheet if Delhi Police files a charge sheet against Gandhis and other co-accused. The Gandhis have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
Delhi Police FIR will provide legal robustness to the ED case and the charge sheet which stems from a court order - Metropolitan Magistrate of Delhi - that took cognisance of a private complaint by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on June 26, 2014, people quoted above told ET.
The accused have repeatedly challenged the validity of PMLA probe on the basis of a private complaint. With an FIR now being filed, ED's probe will have more legal teeth, sources said. "The case enumerates the issue of government properties being allotted to AJL at subsidised rates for larger public purposes, only to be usurped and misused by the beneficial owners of Young Indian and thus represents a serious form of criminal conspiracy and financial fraud. These properties were given at concessional rates for public welfare activities, (and) have been illegally diverted for personal gain," as per Delhi Police's October 3 FIR.
"The prosecution complaint was already filed by ED for commission of offences under PMLA pertaining to money laundering by the accused persons relating to the scheduled offences, inter alia cheating and criminal conspiracy, by actually and knowingly involved in the process or activity connected with proceeds of crime derived or obtained by way of criminal activity relating to the scheduled offences of cheating and criminal conspiracy which led to the fraudulent takeover of properties worth more than ₹2,000 crore of market value of AJL, beneficially owned by Sonia and Rahul, for a paltry sum of ₹50 lakh only," FIR adds.
An FIR was registered by the economic offences wing (EOW) of Delhi Police on October 3 against Sonia, Rahul and seven others on the basis of an ED complaint.
In its complaint, ED wrote to Delhi Police that its PMLA investigation has revealed "additional facts that disclose cognisable offences", which are "beyond the scope of complaint of Subramanian Swamy".
Besides Gandhis, the FIR also names Congress leaders Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda, entities like Young Indian (YI) and Dotex Merchandise, Dotex promoter Sunil Bhandari, Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) and unknown others.
ED has already filed its prosecution complaint against Gandhis and co-accused. A local court later this month will take up the agency's complaint to decide whether to take its cognisance. People quoted above told ET that ED has completed its investigation and may file a supplementary charge sheet if Delhi Police files a charge sheet against Gandhis and other co-accused. The Gandhis have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
Delhi Police FIR will provide legal robustness to the ED case and the charge sheet which stems from a court order - Metropolitan Magistrate of Delhi - that took cognisance of a private complaint by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on June 26, 2014, people quoted above told ET.
The accused have repeatedly challenged the validity of PMLA probe on the basis of a private complaint. With an FIR now being filed, ED's probe will have more legal teeth, sources said. "The case enumerates the issue of government properties being allotted to AJL at subsidised rates for larger public purposes, only to be usurped and misused by the beneficial owners of Young Indian and thus represents a serious form of criminal conspiracy and financial fraud. These properties were given at concessional rates for public welfare activities, (and) have been illegally diverted for personal gain," as per Delhi Police's October 3 FIR.
"The prosecution complaint was already filed by ED for commission of offences under PMLA pertaining to money laundering by the accused persons relating to the scheduled offences, inter alia cheating and criminal conspiracy, by actually and knowingly involved in the process or activity connected with proceeds of crime derived or obtained by way of criminal activity relating to the scheduled offences of cheating and criminal conspiracy which led to the fraudulent takeover of properties worth more than ₹2,000 crore of market value of AJL, beneficially owned by Sonia and Rahul, for a paltry sum of ₹50 lakh only," FIR adds.
