Sonia Gandhi Leaves ED Office As Questioning Ends After 6 Hrs; Summoned Again on Wednesday

Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) — in connection with the money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper — ended on Tuesday after six hours, with sources saying that she has been summoned again on Wednesday at 11 am.

Gandhi left the ED office in central Delhi just before 7 pm after recording her statement. She reached the ED office this morning at around 11 armed with her Z+ security and accompanied by her children — Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Priyanka Gandhi stayed back at the ED office, while Rahul Gandhi left soon after. Priyanka was in another room at the ED office so she could meet her mother to provide her medicines or medical assistance if necessary, officials said.

At around 2 pm, Sonia left the ED office around and returned at around 3:30 pm for lunch break. The Lok Sabha MP from Rae Bareli is understood to have been asked questions pertaining to her involvement with the National Herald newspaper and the company under scanner in the case — Young Indian Pvt Ltd.

Sonia was questioned for over two hours during her first day of questioning in the case on July 21 where she replied to 28 questions put forth by the agency.

Rahul Gandhi Freed

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and 50 MPs, who were detained after they protested against the questioning of the party’s interim president, were released from Delhi Police custody.

The Congress leaders had taken out a march from Gandhi Statue in the Parliament premises towards Vijay Chowk when they were detained. Rahul Gandhi, who was also present during the protest march, was detained after a stand-off that lasted for about 30 minutes after which the cops lifted him and put him in the bus along with other MPs of the party who had already been detained.

“All (Congress) MPs came here. They talked about inflation, and unemployment. They (the police) are not allowing us to sit here. Discussions are not allowed inside (the Parliament) and here they are arresting us. This is the reality of India that it is a police state, it is the truth… Modiji is a ‘raja’ (king),” Rahul Gandhi said while speaking to the media.

The Delhi Police also detained Congress leaders including Ranjeet Ranjan, KC Venugopal, Manickam Tagore, Imran Pratapgarhi, K Suresh, Digvijaya Singh, Deepender Hooda and Mallikarjun Kharge were also detained.

Congress Protests Across Country

Congress workers across the country took out demonstrations against the ED questioning of the party’s interim president. The party carried out protests in Chandigarh, Mumbai, Lucknow and Patna.

In Indore, protesting Congress workers were beaten up by the police when they attempted to paint the local ED office black.

In Delhi, the traffic police issued an advisory and requested people to avoid Motilal Nehru Marg, Akbar Road, Janpath, Man Singh Road, Gol Methi junction, Tughlak Road Junction, Claridges Junction, Q-point Junction, Sunehri Masjid Junction, Maulana Azad Road Junction and Man Singh Road Junction from 03:30 pm to 08:00 pm due to the protests.

Earlier on Monday, the top Congress leaders had met to evolve a strategy ahead of Sonia Gandhi’s questioning by the ED, even as the Delhi Police denied the party permission to protest at the Raj Ghat and imposed section 144 there. Congress leaders have demonstrated against Gandhi’s questioning by the Central agency and they have decided to stage a peaceful protest once again on Tuesday.

However, their demand for permission to stage a ‘Satyagrah’ at Raj Ghat, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, was turned down by the Delhi Police which also imposed prohibitory order under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in the area.

Background of Case

The move to question the Gandhis was initiated after the ED late last year registered a fresh case under the criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. This was after a trial court here took cognisance of an Income Tax department probe against Young Indian based on a private criminal complaint by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are among the promoters and majority shareholders in Young Indian. Like her son, the Congress president too has 38 per cent shareholding.

Swamy had accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds, with Young Indian paying only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that Associate Journals Limited owed to the Congress. In February last year, the Delhi High Court issued a notice to the Gandhis seeking their response on Swamy’s plea. Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal were questioned by the ED in the case in April.

The Congress has maintained there has been no wrongdoing and Young Indian is a “not-for-profit” company established under section 25 of the Companies Act and hence there can be no question of money laundering. It is understood that Rahul Gandhi, during his deposition before the ED, stuck to the position that there was no personal acquisition of assets by himself or his family.

According to the ED, assets worth about Rs 800 crore are “owned” by the AJL and the agency wants to know from the Gandhis how a not-for-profit company like Young Indian was undertaking commercial activities of renting out its land and building assets.

(With inputs from PTI)

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