The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Congress president Sonia Gandhi on June 23 to record her statement in connection with a money laundering case involving the National Herald.
The agency had earlier sought Ms. Gandhi’s appearance on June 8. However, she was tested positive for COVID-19 on June 2. Her office had written to the ED seeking a fresh date.
In the same case, the ED has also summoned Ms. Gandhi’s son and former party chief, Rahul Gandhi, on June 13.
The case to investigate the alleged financial irregularities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act was registered about nine months ago after a trial court took cognisance of an Income-Tax Department probe conducted on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by former BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.
Mr. Swamy had approached the court alleging that the assets of Associated Journals Limited, which published National Herald newspaper, were fraudulently acquired and transferred to Young Indian, a company in which Ms. Gandhi and her son owned 38% shares each.
Young Indian paid ₹50 lakh to the Congress for transferring the ₹90-crore debt to it, as alleged in the complaint.
According to the Congress, Young Indian was a not-for-profit company under section 25 of the Companies Act, that could neither accumulate profits nor pay dividends to its shareholders.
