ED Summons Sonia Gandhi, Rahul in 'National Herald' Money Laundering Case

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday summoned Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her MP son Rahul Gandhi for questioning in a money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper, officials said.

The case was registered recently to probe alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper.

The agency, officials said, wants to record the statements of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), PTI reported.

The National Herald is published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and owned by Young Indian Pvt Limited.

The agency recently questioned senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal as part of the investigation.

The National Herald case pertains to the alleged misappropriation of assets of over ₹2,000 crore in an equity transaction.

The notice to the Gandhis has been served a few days ago. In April, the ED questioned former Union minister Pawan Bansal, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge in connection with the money laundering probe into the National Herald case, reports stated.

Accusations of cheating, conspiracy and criminal breach of trust in the acquisition of the Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which ran the Congress mouthpiece, National Herald, by Young Indian Pvt Ltd have been levelled in the case.