On Rahul Gandhi's ED interrogation, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury seeks LS Speaker's intervention

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday, pleading him to intervene in the Enforcement Directorate's hours-long questioning of Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the "inhuman treatment and humiliation has been meted out" to Rahul Gandhi by the agency.

In his letter to the Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, the Leader of Congress in Parliament's Lower house, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury spoke about the grilling of the Wayanad MP by the central agency for three consecutive days, stating that Rahul Gandhi has been going "inexplicable tormentation" by ED.

"With heavy heart, I along with my colleagues have been expressing grievances to you that our esteemed colleague Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji, has been undergoing inexplicable tormentation for consecutive three days by Enforcement directorate of India in Delhi, he has been grilled on an average 10 to 11 hours per day on the pretext of examination on some wild allegations," a statement from Chowdhury's letter to Om Birla read.

The Congress leader further wrote that he and his party MPs regard Om Birla as their custodian and therefore seek his intervention in the matter. Referring to ED's probe, Chowdhury wrote, "This kind of inhuman treatment with a Member of Parliament smacks of heinous conspiracy to settle politics. We all regard you as our custodian and hence seek your intervention into the humiliation being meted out to Shri Rahul Gandhi."

Notably, Rahul Gandhi has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) again on Friday, June 17, Republic learnt from sources after he appeared at the central agency's office in New Delhi for three consecutive days.

'Prima facie inconsistencies found in Gandhi's answers on ownership': ED sources

As Rahul Gandhi gets summoned in the National Herald case for the third time on June 17, Republic learnt that the question set prepared by the Enforcement Directorate for the former Congress President has not been completed yet. Sources on Wednesday said that of the questions asked so far related to ownership and decision-making on shareholding of Young Indian Private Limited & Associated Journals Limited, the Wayanad MP did not give clear answers. There are inconsistencies in answers given by the Parliamentarian, most of which seem tutored by his legal team, sources further said, adding that the agency maintains that no decision will be made on the answers provided so far. 

Earlier on Wednesday, sources had said that the Wayanad representative had told the agency that Young Indian is a non-profitable company incorporated under special provisions of the Companies Act. On this, the agency interjected and reminded the 51-year-old that since its establishment in 2010, the company has not done any charitable work, and asked him to present document evidence, if he could, to support his claim as per sources. 

It is pertinent to mention that the questioning of the senior Congress leaders and the Gandhis is a part of the ED's investigation to understand the shareholding pattern, financial transactions, and role of the promoters of Young Indian and AJL (Associated Journal Limited). The probe agency had registered a fresh case under the criminal provisions of the PMLA after a trial court took cognizance of an Income Tax Department probe against Young Indian Pvt Ltd on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.