Sonia Gandhi to appear before ED in National Herald Case on 21 July
Premium- Gandhi 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.
Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi to join the investigation in the National Herald Case on 21 July, official sources said, as reported by news agency ANI.
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.
Sonia Gandhi 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.
Meanwhile, in the month of June, Rahul Gandhi was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate for 54 hours in five days in the matter.
Here is all that you need to know about the National Herald Case:
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.
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.
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.
The Congress has accused the Centre of targeting the opposition leaders by "misusing" investigative agencies and has termed the entire action a "political vendetta".
(With inputs from agencies)