National Herald case: Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in money laundering case related to National Herald newspaper. Rahul Gandhi has been asked to appear for questioning on June 13, officials said. Earlier, the ED had asked him to appear on June 2, but Rahul Gandhi had asked for a new date as he was out of the country. Officials said that Rahul Gandhi has now been asked to report to the ED headquarters on June 13. His mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, 75, has also been asked to appear before the agency on June 8. Although his COVID-19 test came back positive on Thursday, he is unlikely to reappear.

What’s the matter

The case concerns an investigation into alleged financial irregularities in the party’s National Herald newspaper. This article is published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and is owned by Young Indian Private Limited. According to the ED, the interrogation of senior Congress leaders and the Gandhi family is part of the ED’s scrutiny to understand the shareholding pattern, financial transactions and role of Young Indian and AJL promoters. In fact, the party, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, are among the promoters and shareholders of Young Indian. The agency wants to record the statements of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi under the criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), officials said.

When did it start?

The case came to light when BJP MP Subramanian Swamy filed a private criminal complaint in a court in 2013. BJP MP Swamy had accused Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others of fraud and conspiracy to misuse funds. According to him, Young Indian Pvt Ltd had paid only Rs 5 million to the Congress for the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore. In February last year, the Delhi High Court issued notice to the Gandhi family to respond to Swamy’s plea. What was The Gandhi family was granted bail by a court in 2015 after offering a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and bail. The other accused in the case filed by Swamy are Saman Dubey and technocrat Sam Petroda. He has denied wrongdoing before.