Delhi Police rejects Cong’s allegation
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for over eight hours for the third consecutive day in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the National Herald newspaper. The agency has asked him to appear again on Friday for further questioning.
Rahul arrived at the ED headquarters around 11.35 am and his questioning began at 12 noon. He took a break for an hour at 3 pm and rejoined the questioning session at 4 pm which continued past 9 pm.
The entire questioning session of Rahul is being recorded both in audio and video formats. His statements are being printed on A4 size papers. Rahul minutely reviews his printed statements before putting his signatures on them and submitting the same to the investigating officer of the case who is an Assistant Director level officer, sources said.
The Congress leaders alleged that the Delhi Police forcibly entered the AICC headquarters in the national Capital and thrashed the party workers. The Delhi Police rubbished Congress’ allegations.
The party also shared purported video clips on social media showing police personnel entering its office premises. Congress leader Ajay Maken shared a video as visual proof of police personnel entering the AICC headquarters at 24, Akbar Road. “Delhi Police entered the headquarters of the Congress, the country’s principal Opposition party, and assaulted our workers. Is democracy alive?” Maken wrote on Twitter in Hindi. “Watch the full clip,” he added.
Addressing a press conference, party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said the action of the Delhi Police was “criminal trespass” which will not be tolerated and will be accounted for.
A video of police allegedly manhandling Congress workers was also doing rounds on social media.
The Congress has demanded that an FIR for “criminal trespass” be registered, the erring police personnel be suspended and disciplinary action initiated against them.
The ED’s questions revolved around his “personal role” in decision making with regard to the media organisation and its owner Young Indian, assets owned by Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) that published the National Herald newspaper and how Young Indian (YI), a not-for-profit company, was undertaking commercial activities of renting out its land and building assets, they saida
Other questions being put to Rahul include the incorporation of the Young Indian, the operations of the National Herald newspaper, the loan given by the Congress to the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and the funds transfer within the media establishment.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi are among the major promoters and shareholders of Young Indian.
The money laundering probe relates to alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which now owns the National Herald newspaper.
The newspaper is published by the AJL and owned by Young Indian Private Limited.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital here for Covid-related complications, has also been summoned by the agency for questioning in the case on June 23.
The ED recently registered a fresh case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after a trial court here took cognisance of an Income-Tax department probe against YI on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.
Swamy had accused Sonia and Rahul as also others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds, with Young Indian paying only `50 lakh to obtain the right to recover `90.25 crore that AJL owed to the Congress.
In February last year, the Delhi High Court issued a notice to the Gandhis for their response on Swamy’s plea, seeking to lead evidence in the matter before the trial court.
The Gandhis later secured separate bails from the court in 2015 after they furnished personal bonds of `50,000 and one surety each of like amounts. However, they contended before the high court that Swamy’s plea was “misconceived and premature”.
The other accused in this case are the Gandhis’ close aides Suman Dubey and technocrat Sam Pitroda. Both had earlier denied any wrongdoing.