Sonia, Rahul Gandhi summoned by ED: What is National Herald case, how are Congress leaders involved?

Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi and senior leader and MP Rahul Gandhi were on Wednesday summoned by the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in connection to the National Herald money laundering case.

The summons sparked a backlash from the Congress.

"The Modi government should know that by registering such fake and fabricated cases, they cannot succeed in their cowardly conspiracy," Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.

In its summons to the senior most Congress leaders, the agency wants to examine them and record their statements under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), officials were quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

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The National Herald money laundering case

"We started the National Herald newspaper in 1942. At that time the British tried to suppress it. Today the Modi government is also doing the same and the ED is being used for this. ED has given notice to our president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi," Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said while addressing the summons by ED in a press conference.

A case with the central agency is investigating alleged financial irregularities in party-promoted Young Indian Pvt Limited, which owns the National Herald newspaper. The agency is trying to understand the shareholding pattern, financial transactions and role of the promoters of Young Indian and AJL, as per officials. Members of the Gandhi family including Sonia and Rahul are among Young Indian’s promoters and shareholders.

The fresh case was recently registered by ED under the criminal provisions of the PMLA. It followed trial court taking cognisance of an Income Tax Department investigation against Young Indian Pvt Ltd based on a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.

The Gandhi mother-son and others were accused of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds with Young Indian by Swamy. They paid only Rs 50 lakh in order to get the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that was owed by Associate Journals Ltd, the publisher of National Herald, to the Congress.

Separate bails were secured by the Gandhi’s in 2015 after furnishing personal bonds worth Rs 50,000 and one surety. They had opposed the plea by Swamy in Delhi HC, calling it ‘misconceived and premature’.

In February 2021, a notice was issued by Delhi HC to them to respond to plea by Swamy which sought lead evidence in the case before the trial court.

Earlier, the ED has questioned two other senior leaders of the party -- Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal -- as part of its probe. Other people accused by the BJP MP in the case include Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey.

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(With inputs from agencies)