National Herald: After 40 Hours of Questioning, ED Summons Rahul Gandhi Again

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi

(Photo: PTI)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been asked to appear before Enforcement Directorate for the fifth time on Tuesday, 21 June, after completing over 40 hours of questioning in the National Herald case on Monday, PTI quoted an official as saying.

The fourth round of questioning came after his request to postpone the summons was granted considering the illness of his mother and interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi had requested the agency to give him relaxation from appearing for questioning from 17 to 20 June.

Sonia Gandhi had tested positive for COVID-19 on 2 June and was expected to turn up for questioning at the agency offices on Wednesday, 8 June. However, she asked for three more weeks since she was still COVID-19 positive and in isolation.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Ajay Maken said that he will be sitting on 'satyagraha' along with other leaders and party workers to demand the rollback of the Agnipath scheme and meeting President Ram Nath Kovind over the same.

He said on Monday that they will also inform the President how a Congress MP was harassed and how the ED "is being misused."

He added that Congress MP S Jothimani was allegedly beaten up by Delhi Police during the protest against the ED probe.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Traffic Police on Monday issued a fresh advisory for commuters in view of protests expected by the grand-old party over the "misuse of ED."

What's the Case?

The ED had registered the case to probe alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted group Young Indian, which owns the National Herald newspaper.

The ED wants to record the statements of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The summons to the Gandhis came after the probe agency questioned Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal in relation to the case.

The questioning of the senior Congress leaders and the Gandhis is part of the ED's investigation to understand the shareholding pattern, financial transactions and role of the promoters of Young Indian and AJL, officials had said.

The agency registered a fresh case under the criminal provisions of the PMLA after a trial court in Delhi took cognisance of an Income Tax Department probe against Young Indian Pvt Ltd on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.

(With inputs from PTI.)