Enforcement Directorate to Question Sonia Gandhi in National Herald Case on July 21

New Delhi: Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, who could not appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case involving the National Herald, has been served fresh summons and asked to depose before the investigators at its headquarters here around 11 am on July 21.

The 75-year-old Congress chief could not join the ED investigation earlier as she was hospitalised for  COVID-19. She was discharged from hospital but the Congress leader had sought more time to appear before the probe agency. The agency had earlier issued similar summons to Sonia Gandhi as she did not appear before the investigators on June 8 and then June 21 due to COVID-19.
The ED last month questioned Rahul Gandhi on several occasions in the case and was waiting to record Sonia Gandhi's statements under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).  

The agency, which investigates economic offences, is investigating the role of Gandhis in the National Herald newspaper case. In 2013, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Subramanian Swamy had approached the court alleging that the assets of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which published the National Herald newspaper, were fraudulently acquired and transferred to Young Indian Pvt Limited (YIL). 

Both Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhiowned 38 per cent shares each in YIL. The BJP leader alleged that Gandhis cheated and misappropriated funds, with YIL paying only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that AJL owed to the Congress. 

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The federal agency had earlier questioned senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Treasurer Pawan Bansal in April this year in New Delhi in connection with its money laundering probe into the National Herald case. Kharge is the CEO of YIL, Bansal is the Managing Director of AJL.