by Suman Gupta
NATIONAL, 26 JULY, 2022 : Sonia Gandhi will appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials for the second round of questioning today on 26 July in an alleged money laundering probe linked to the National Herald newspaper.
Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi to join the investigation in the National Herald Case on 21 July.
The 75-year-old Congress leader, who was supposed to depose before the agency last month, requested for delaying the investigations owing to the fact the doctors had “strictly advised her to rest at home following her hospitalisation on account of Covid and lung infection”. Following this, officials informed that they would record her statement in the last week of July.
She was first issued notice for an appearance on June 8 but after she reported positive for COVID-19, a fresh notice for an appearance on June 23 was issued.
The Congress president was admitted to a private hospital in Delhi owing to COVID-related complications on June 12, days after testing positive for COVID-19 on June 2.
The Delhi Police has rejected Congress’ request for permission to stage a ‘Satyagrah’ at the Raj Ghat, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, and imposed prohibitory order under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in the area. Earlier last week Congress leaders and workers staged protests across the country, which eventually turned violent.
The Karnataka Congress workers burnt a car parked opposite the office of Enforcement Directorate (ED) here alleging vendetta politics by the ruling BJP in connection with the questioning of its interim President Sonia Gandhi.
The party has declared that the protest will continue until ruling BJP stops “torturing” Sonia Gandhi by misusing the Central government agencies.
D.K. Shivakumar, State President of the Congress party, said, “Let the BJP show the video recording of the inquiry of Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
Meanwhile, in the month of June, Rahul Gandhi
was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate for 54 hours in five days in the matter.
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said it is wrong to summon two members of the same family over and over again, that too in connection with the same case.
Here is all that you need to know about the National Herald Case:
A Delhi court has taken cognizance of charges against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul and ordered for their trial for offences under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating). Delhi high court and Supreme Court refused to drop the charges against them and they are on bail granted by the court on the ground that they face security threat.
The Income Tax department had filed a charge sheet alleging financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns the National Herald Newspaper. The IT department had been investigating the case since 2016.
The ED recently registered a fresh case under the criminal provisions of the PMLA after a trial court took cognisance of an Income Tax department probe against Young Indian. Following which, ED decided to summon Gandhis for questioning.
In 2010 Congress paid Rs 90.21 crore to AJL. Sonia Gandhi was then the president of the party.
Sonia Gandhi and her son are among the promoters and majority shareholders of Young Indian with each having a 38 per cent stake in the company.
Congress leaders fail to substantiate this payment through documentary evidence (whether paid in cash or cheque)ED finds no trail of VRS payment or any other expenditure of Rs90.21 crore by AJL as claimed by some Congress leaders.Rahul Gandhi told ED only late Motilal Vora knew about these transactions.
Income Tax dept in its assessment order said the “loan entry of Rs 90.21 crore was fixed”.
Sonia, being president of the party, must answer how Congress paid Rs90 crore to AJL, say ED sources.
ED has estimated properties owned by AJL worth over Rs 800 crore.In 2010, Sonia Gandhi launched Young Indian (YI) which took over 99 per cent of AJL within months.
YI takes Rs 1 crore unsecured ‘loan’ from Dotex Merchandise, a Kolkata based shell company.YI paid Rs 50 lakh from this to AJL to take over 99 per cent shareholding of the company with all its assets.
Income Tax department probe against Young Indian, based on a private criminal complaint filed by Subramanian Swamy in 2013.
Swamy had accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds, with Young Indian paying only ₹50 lakh to obtain the right to recover ₹90.25 crore that the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) owed to the Congress.
In February last year, the Delhi High Court issued a notice to the Gandhis for their response to Swamy’s plea, seeking to lead evidence in the matter before the trial court.
Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal were questioned by the ED in this case in April.
Congress claims it to be a political stunt and vengeance by BJP
