Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appeared before the Enforcement Directorate for questioning on the fourth day in the National Herald money laundering case, a day after his 52nd birthday.
Rahul GandhiCongress General Secretary-in-Charge Sanchar Jairam Ramesh tweeted on Monday, ‘Mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi were earlier discharged from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. He has also been summoned by the ED on June 23.
According to the news agency, the ED has called Rahul Gandhi on the fifth day of questioning on June 21. PTI,
Rahul arrived at the ED headquarters at APJ Abdul Kalam Road in central Delhi on Monday at 11.05 am with his “Z” category CRPF security escort.
A large contingent of police and paramilitary forces were deployed around the federal agency’s office, while Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) has been imposed in the vicinity as of last week.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leaders and workers staged a sit-in at Jantar Mantar here against the ED’s action and the Centre’s Agneepath Defense Recruitment Scheme.
Gandhi, Congress MP From Wayanad in Kerala, he has spent around 35 hours in the ED office during these four days where he was questioned over several sessions and his statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The fourth day of questioning was postponed from June 17 to June 20 as Gandhi requested the agency to postpone it as he wanted to be with his mother and the Congress president. Sonia Gandhi,
The probe pertains to alleged financial irregularities in Congress-promoted Young Indian Pvt Ltd, which owns the National Herald newspaper.
The ED is understood to be asking Rahul Gandhi about the induction of Young Indian Pvt Ltd, the operation of the National Herald, loans given by the party to the newspaper’s publisher Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) and transfer of funds within the news. media establishment.
The Congress has accused the BJP-led Center of “misusing” probe agencies to target opposition leaders and termed the entire action as “political vendetta”.
Gandhi’s role in the case and his detailed statement is significant as he is a “major shareholder” (38%) in Young Indian Pvt Ltd and a “significant figure” in the affairs of AJL and National Herald.
The agency is understood to have questioned him about AJL’s assets.
According to sources, Rahul Gandhi was allegedly asked about the loan 1 crore taken by Young Indian Pvt Ltd in February 2011 from a Kolkata based company and the reason behind it.
Sources indicated that the questions asked to Gandhi cover the period starting from 2011 when Young Indian Pvt Ltd was incorporated.
It is also learned that the questions include changes in the shareholding pattern of the company, the procedures to be followed and the salary and VRS to the journalists working in the organization, among other issues.
Party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal were recently questioned in the case, and Kharge said they gave “evidence” to the agency during their interrogation.
The ED had recently registered a fresh case under criminal provisions of the PMLA after a trial court here took cognizance of an Income Tax Department investigation against Young Indian based on a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013. Had taken.
Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are among the promoters and majority shareholders of Young Indian Pvt Ltd. Like his son, the Congress President also holds 38 per cent stake.
Swamy had accused the Gandhi family and others of conspiracy to commit fraud and misappropriation of funds, to which Young Indian Pvt Ltd had only paid 50 lakhs to get the right of recovery 90.25 crore which AJL was owed to Congress.
In February last year, the Delhi High Court issued notice to the Gandhi family for its response to Swamy’s plea, seeking to produce evidence in the case before the trial court.
The Gandhi family had secured separate bail from the court in 2015 after furnishing a personal bond 50,000 and one surety.
However, he had argued in the High Court that Swamy’s plea was “wrong and premature”.
The other accused in the case filed by Swamy are close aides of the Gandhi family – Suman Dubey and technocrat Sam Pitroda. He has denied any wrongdoing.