The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Tuesday conducted raids at multiple locations in Delhi and other places in the alleged money laundering case related to the National Herald newspaper, reported news agency ANI. The development comes after Congress president Sonia Gandhi was questioned by ED last month by the probe agency.
The Congress chief had been summoned for interrogation in the case on three separate days - July 21, 26 and July 27. During questioning the Lok Sabha MP from Rae Bareli was asked about the functioning and running of the newspaper and the role of its various office bearers, reported ANI.
Last month, the ED also questioned Rahul Gandhi for five days in the money laundering case related to the National Herald newspaper. The case under the PMLA was registered about nine months after a trial court took cognizance of the Income Tax department probe carried out on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.
The petitioner had approached the court alleging that the assets of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which published the National Herald newspaper, were fraudulently acquired and transferred to Young Indian Pvt Limited (YIL), in which Sonia Gandhi and her son owned 38 per cent shares each. The YIL promoters include Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Swamy had alleged that the Gandhis cheated and misappropriated funds, with YIL paying only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that AJL owed to Congress.
(With inputs from ANI)