ED questions Rahul Gandhi for 4th day

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate for the fourth day of questioning in the National Herald money laundering case.

A day after his 52nd birthday, Gandhi arrived at the ED headquarters on the APJ Abdul Kalam Road in central Delhi at 11.05 am with his 'Z+' category CRPF security escort. A huge contingent of police and paramilitary personnel was deployed around the federal agency's office even as Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) has been imposed in the adjoining area like last week.

Leaving the ED office for over an hour-long break, the former Congress chief re-joined the questioning around 4:45 pm. Senior Congress leaders and workers held a protest at Jantar Mantar here against the ED action and the Centre's Agnipath defence recruitment scheme. Gandhi, the Congress MP from Kerala's Wayanad, has spent around 35 hours at the ED office during these four days, where he was questioned over multiple sessions and his statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The fourth day of questioning was deferred from June 17 to Monday after Gandhi requested the agency for postponing it as he wanted to be with his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who is in hospital for post-Covid issues.

The probe pertains to alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns the National Herald newspaper.

The ED is understood to be asking Rahul Gandhi about the incorporation of the Young Indian Private Limited, operations of the National Herald, the loan given by the party to the newspaper's publisher Associated Journals Limited (AJL), and the transfer of funds within the news media establishment. Sonia Gandhi has also been summoned by the agency for questioning in the case on June 23.

The Congress has accused the BJP-led Centre of targeting the opposition leaders by "misusing" investigative agencies and has termed the entire action "political vendetta". Agency sources said the role of Gandhi and his detailed statement in the case is vital as he is a "major shareholder" (38 per cent) in Young Indian Private Limited and an "important person" in the affairs of AJL and the National Herald.