New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday, April 25, declined to issue notices to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others names in the National Herald money laundering case for the time being.According to PTI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed an application before Special Judge Vishal Gogne seeking notices be issued to the mother-son duo and others.Judge Gogne, however, rejected the application, observing that cognisance of the complaint (ED’s equivalent to a chargesheet) cannot be taken without hearing the accused persons.“Don’t want this order to be prolonged. Let notice be issued,” PTI quoted the ED as telling the court.The judge, however, stated that the court could not “pass such an order” until satisfied that notice was required.The case involves a Rs 90-crore loan advanced by the Congress party to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which owns the National Herald paper. The ED claims this money was later laundered by the accused persons to Young Indian, a private limited company.The ED has named Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sam Pitroda, head of the Congress party’s overseas wing, and Suman Dubey, a former journalist believed to be a “close aide” of the Gandhi family, as founding directors of Young Indian Private Limited.Sonia and Rahul Gandhi together owned 76% of the company. The ED has accused the Gandhis of being the “real beneficiaries” of the company.The company allegedly took over the assets of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the parent company of the National Herald, for just Rs 50 lakh. According to the ED, these assets were worth Rs 2,000 crore at the time and are now valued at around Rs 5,000 crore. This alleged misappropriation of funds is under investigation by the ED.The ED’s chargesheet claims that proceeds of crime totalling Rs 988 crore have been tracked by the agency, including real estate and other assets valued at Rs 755 crore, shares worth Rs 90 crore, and rent of Rs 142 crore.When the case came up for hearing before Judge Gogne, he stated that before the court passes any order, it must determine if there are any deficiencies.“There are certain documents missing in the chargesheet. The ED is directed to file those documents. After that, the court will decide the issue of notice,” the court said. The case is next scheduled for hearing on May 2.