National Herald case: ED issues fresh summons to Rahul Gandhi on June 13

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi asking him to appear before the agency on June 13 in connection with a money laundering case related to the National Herald newspaper.The Congress had on Wednesday said that the ED summoned its president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to appear before it on June 8. The party said the summons was received “just a few days ago” and Sonia would “100 per cent” appear before the ED. “If Rahul Gandhi is here … then he will also go. Otherwise, we will seek some time,” said Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi. Rahul Gandhi is yet to return to the country after a trip to London.

Before summoning Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, the ED had questioned Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal. “Rahul Gandhi was earlier asked to appear on June 2, but he sought a fresh date as he was out of the country,” an official said.The ED case is based on a trial court order that allowed the income tax department to probe the affairs of the National Herald newspaper and conduct a tax assessment of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. The order was the result of a petition filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.Swamy’s complaint had alleged cheating and misappropriation of funds by the Gandhis in acquiring the newspaper. Swamy had alleged that the Gandhis acquired properties owned by the National Herald by buying the newspaper’s erstwhile publishers AJL through an organisation called Young India in which they have 86 per cent stake. Sonia and Rahul were granted bail in the case by the trial court on December 19, 2015.