After over 20 hours of interrogation since Monday in the National Herald money laundering case, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the third consecutive day. Rahul Gandhi arrived at the ED headquarters in central Delhi around 11.35 am accompanied by his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Rahul Gandhi left the ED office at 11:30 pm on Tuesday night after being questioned for over 11 hours and went to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital to meet his mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi. According to ED sources quoted by ANI, the Wayanad MP has been confronted with several documents collated by the ED as evidence recovered so far in the case.
Rahul Gandhi Questioning Day 3: Here Are The Latest Updates
- Rahul Gandhi has been questioned for around 21 hours at the ED’s office over the last two days and his statement recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
- Several Congress workers who were protesting outside the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office and the party headquarters on Akbar Road in Delhi were detained on Wednesday. Among those detained were IYC chief BV Srinivas and Delhi Congress chief Anil Chaudhary.
- Videos showed several Youth Congress and Mahila Congress workers being forcibly taken away by police. Top party leaders, including Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary, Bhupesh Baghel and Pawan Khera, also took part in the protests. “Police are indulging in goondaism on the directions of the govt. We have never seen such barbarism in the history of India,” ANI quoted Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as saying.
- Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also alleged that police entered the AICC office and beat up Congress workers. “Our workers are being beaten up mercilessly,” PTI quoted Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel as saying.
- Delhi Police has put up barricades around the AICC office and workers were prevented from entering the party office on Wednesday. Congress leaders claimed this was the first time that party workers were not allowed to enter the AICC office.
- Congress MPs Manickam Tagore, Thirunavakkarasuar, A Chella Kumar, Amar Singh and Jayakumar Vijay Vasanth protested in the Parliament complex and raised slogans against the government.
- The investigation pertains to alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns the National Herald newspaper. The newspaper is published by the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and owned by Young Indian Private Limited (YIL).
- Over the past two days, Rahul Gandhi has been questioned about the ownership of Young Indian Private Limited by the Gandhi family and its shareholding pattern in Associated Journals Limited, ANI reported. He has also been questioned on the circumstances under which AJL was acquired by YIL in 2010.
- Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who is currently admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi due to Covid-related issues, has also been summoned by the ED for questioning in the case on June 23.
(With inputs from agencies)