New Delhi. The ED on Monday questioned former Congress President Rahul Gandhi for more than 10 hours in two rounds in the money laundering case related to the National Herald case. Rahul reached the ED office at 11:10 am. He was again questioned after a lunch break of about one and a half hours in between, after which he came out of the ED office at 11:10 pm. The ED has also called Rahul for questioning on Tuesday.
Rahul Gandhi denies knowing
Rahul, who is facing ED questioning for the first time, has kept quiet on most of the questions. Rahul Gandhi on questions related to the process of formation of Young India Limited (YIL) company, its funding, Congress party’s loan of Rs 90 crore to Associated Journal Limited (AJL) and sale of AJL to Young India. Denied information.
The agency had a long list of questions
A senior ED official said the enforcement agency had a long list of questions related to the entire process of selling Young India to AJL for questioning Rahul Gandhi. As per the ED’s rule, Rahul was asked to write the answers to all the questions on paper with his own hands. The process of interrogation went on for a long time due to the self-answer of each and every question.
This information requested
It is worth noting that after writing the answers to the questions of the ED, one has to sign on the top left side of the paper and also at the bottom. That is why the statement given in the ED is considered as solid evidence in the court. At the beginning of the interrogation, Rahul was asked to give his personal introduction as well as detailed information about his bank account and assets.
These questions asked
After this questions related to Young India and AJL case were asked. There were also questions related to Sonia Gandhi’s participation in the work of Young India. The ED also sought information from Rahul about the assets of Young India. Clearly, through questions, the ED was trying to unearth the deep conspiracy, by which properties worth thousands of crores of AJL were handed over to a company of Gandhi family.
Rahul was sidelined by most of the questions
A senior ED official said that Rahul shied away from answering most of the questions, saying he had no knowledge about it or that he would gather information about it later. He said that Rahul was also shown the statements made by two senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal earlier and asked for clarification on that. Both these leaders were questioned by the ED in April.
The process of selling AJL is not transparent
According to a senior ED official, the entire process of AJL’s sale to Young India is not transparent and no one is able to give a satisfactory answer. The official said the further course of action would be taken after questioning Sonia Gandhi in the matter.
Sonia Gandhi called on 23rd June
Sonia Gandhi has been called by the agency for questioning on June 23. By the way, Sonia Gandhi is currently admitted to Gangaram Hospital after corona infection. According to highly placed sources in the ED, after questioning Sonia Gandhi, the ED may take a decision to confiscate all the properties of AJL bought by Young India.
This is the National Herald case
In 1938, Jawaharlal Nehru started the National Herald newspaper along with more than five thousand freedom fighters. It was published by Associated Journal Limited (AJL). After independence, this newspaper became the mouthpiece of the Congress. When the financial condition of the newspaper deteriorated, Congress gave him a loan of Rs 90.25 crore. Despite this, the newspaper was closed in 2008.
Subramanian Swamy has knocked on the door of the court
In 2010, Congress appointed Young India Pvt. Ltd. (YIL) and by taking only Rs 50 lakh, gave it the right to recover the loan of Rs 90.25 crore from AJL. Sonia and Rahul hold 76 per cent stake in Young India. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy raised questions regarding this deal and approached the court. He had demanded a probe, accusing the Gandhi family of grabbing thousands of crores of AJL’s assets through Young India.
ED’s question to Rahul
- What is their position in Young India, whether they participate in the meeting or not
- Who calls the meeting of Young India and who attends it
- How much involvement does Sonia Gandhi have in the working of Young India?
- Whether they were aware of the acquisition of AJL and whether their consent was obtained
- Who is the authorized person running Young India and the CA maintaining its account?
- Was their consent taken on the decision of Congress to give loan of Rs 90 crore to AJL?
- Do they think AJL’s financial condition was deliberately spoiled?
- Rahul did not answer most of these questions, whose questions did not satisfy the ED.
Why is ED investigating in this matter?
Subramanian Swamy had filed a personal criminal complaint in the Patiala House Court in connection with the sale of AJL, a company that owned the National Herald newspaper, to Young India. After this the Income Tax Department investigated against Young India. The ED had registered a case in this case under criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after the trial court took cognizance of the Income Tax Department’s investigation.
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