ED Records Sonia Gandhi's Statement On Third Day Of Questioning In Money Laundering Case

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday recorded her statement for the third time before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper.

She reached the federal agency's office in central Delhi at 11 am accompanied by her children Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi. The session began around 11:15 am by a team of investigators that includes the main probe officer and a person who takes down statements dictated by Gandhi on a computer.

Priyanka Gandhi is staying back at the 'Pravartan Bhawan' ED headquarters in order to provide any assistance or medical care to her mother like the earlier times. The 75-year old Gandhi has been questioned for over eight hours during the last two appearances, where she faced close to 65-70 questions.

The questioning is expected to end Wednesday with the agency putting across a set of another 30-40 questions to Gandhi. The questioning pertains to the charge of alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns the National Herald newspaper.

The sessions are taking place with Covid-appropriate protocols in place and are being recorded in a audio-video mode, officials said. The Congress has slammed the agency's action against its top leadership and termed it as "political vendetta" and "harassment".

The Delhi Police, like the last two times, deployed a huge force, including CRPF and RAF personnel, and barricaded the entire over one kilometre stretch between Gandhi's residence on Janpath-Akbar Road and the ED office. Traffic restrictions were also imposed in the area.

Rahul Gandhi has also been questioned by the ED in this case last month in sessions that clocked over 50 hours over five days. 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.

Money-laundering law weaponised to target people: Congress as Sonia appears before ED 

The Congress alleged that the money-laundering law has been weaponised to target and humiliate people, and urged the Supreme Court to decide soon on the matter concerning the National Herald-Associated Journals Limited case.

The Congress also fielded its senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad in solidarity with Sonia Gandhi and said political opponents should not be treated as "enemies".

Azad, a prominent member of the "Group of 23 (G-23)" that has been critical of the Congress leadership, said the ED should keep in mind the age and health of Sonia Gandhi before subjecting her to repeated questioning in the case, in which party leader Rahul Gandhi has already been questioned for over 50 hours.

He said the Congress chief is aged, has not been well and was admitted to a hospital, adding that she cannot withhold the pressure of probe agencies.

"Even in wars, kings used to give directions that women should not be attacked and those not keeping well should be spared," Azad said, urging the agencies not to be harsh on an aged and ailing Sonia Gandhi.

"I would urge the government and the ED to keep this in mind as subjecting Sonia Gandhi to agencies like this is not right," he added.

Another senior member of the G-23 grouping and a former Union minister, Anand Sharma, said weaponisation of laws and their use to target and humiliate people should not happen.

He said the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has raised many concerns and alleged that the law has been weaponised.

Sharma hoped that the Supreme Court will come out with an informed judgment in this regard.

Rajasthan Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot urged the Supreme Court to soon pronounce a verdict in the National Herald case in which the Gandhis are being questioned.

"Sonia ji has been called (by the ED) for the third time. There is terror of the ED in the country and this case is before the Supreme Court. It should be decided soon," he told reporters.

Youth Congress workers detained after 'rail roko' protest in Mumbai

Youth Congress workers were detained after they staged a 'rail roko' protest at a station here on Wednesday against Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), police said.

A group of 10-15 Mumbai Youth Congress workers stopped a Gujarat-bound express train around 10.15 am on platform no. 6 of the Borivali station, officials of the Government Railway Police (GRP) said.

The protesters shouted slogans against the Enforcement Directorate and the Narendra Modi-led central government, as Sonia Gandhi appeared before the ED in Delhi on Wednesday for the third round of questioning in a money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper.

The GRP Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel removed the protesters from the tracks within a few minutes and the train departed for its onward journey, the officials said.

The GRP then detained some of the protesters, they said. A Western Railway spokesperson said the agitation, which was staged for a few minutes, did not affect train services as the GRP removed the protesters from tracks and detained them.

Sonia Gandhi (75) has been questioned for over eight hours till now by the ED and she has faced 65-70 questions. The questioning pertains to the charge of alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns the National Herald newspaper. The Congress has slammed the ED's action against its top leadership and termed it as "political vendetta" and "harassment".

(with inputs from PTI)