ED resumes questioning Rahul Gandhi following 4-day break

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday resumed questioning of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for the fourth time after a four-day break in the National Herald case. Gandhi was questioned for over nine hours on Monday. He was questioned for over 30 hours in three consecutive days last week.

ED summoned Gandhi again to complete its questioning as the agency 'found certain inconsistencies' in his responses. The Congress has dubbed the case as political vendetta against the Gandhi family. On Monday, it called for video recording of questioning, alleging there was selective media leaks by ED.

Gandhi's statement was recorded under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. A statement recorded under the section is admissible in a court of law. Gandhi was questioned by a team of three senior ED officials led by an assistant director.


As per available information, Gandhi is being questioned about his association with Associated Journals Limited and Young Indian Limited and details of shares in his name and assets belonging to AJL and National Herald. Congress president Sonia Gandhi is slated to appear before the agency on Thursday, but was discharged from a hospital on Monday and advised bed rest for some time.

The case relates to an equity transaction in which Sonia Gandhi and son are accused of 'misappropriating AJL assets worth over Rs 2,000 crore' by paying just Rs 50 lakh. A probe by the Income-Tax Department against the Congress leaders stemmed from a private complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in 2013. ED registered a fresh case under the criminal provisions of PMLA after a trial court took cognisance of the I-T department probe. Congress has termed the case as political vendetta.

Swamy alleged that the Gandhis 'cheated' and 'misappropriated funds' in the 'acquisition' of the National Herald newspaper, published by AJL and owned by Young Indian. The National Herald launched by India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was published by AJL and was in 2010 taken over by Young Indian. Swami has alleged that the Gandhis 'acquired properties' owned by National Herald by buying over the newspaper's erstwhile publishers through Young Indian in which they have '86% stake'.