Down with COVID, Sonia Gandhi seeks 3-week to appear before ED; agency accepts: Sources

In the money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper- Associated Journals Limited, while former Congress President Rahul Gandhi is to appear on June 13, his mother Sonia Gandhi, who was to appear on June 8, sought three weeks' time from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as she is still suffering from COVID-19. Accepting the request of the incumbent Congress President, the ED informed that new summons will soon be issued, as per sources. 

The National Herald case 

The case pertains to the probe into the alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper. The paper is published by AJL and owned by Young Indian Pvt Limited. The questioning of the senior Congress leaders and the Gandhis is part of the ED's investigation to understand the shareholding pattern, financial transactions and role of the promoters of Young Indian and AJL, officials had said.  The members of the first family of the Congress party, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, are among the promoters and shareholders of Young Indian.

The probe agency had registered a fresh case under the criminal provisions of the PMLA after a trial court here 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. Swamy had accused Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds with Young Indian Pvt Ltd paying only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that Associate Journals Ltd owed to the Congress. On December 19, 2015, the Gandhi mother-son duo got bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs.50,000 each and a surety after the court ruled out apprehension that they will flee the country.

(With PTI inputs)