NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday grilled Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for the fifth day on the ownership of Young Indian Limited (YIL) and its shareholding pattern in Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which ran the National Herald newspaper. However, a government source admitted that there wasn’t a strong enough case to make arrest in the matter.
The probe team led by Sanjay Kumar Mishra, 1984-batch Indian Revenue Service officer of the Income Tax Department, is “just taking statement of Congress leader in the matter” to understand the functioning of Young Indian Ltd, the source said.
The agency completed the fourth round of questioning of Rahul Gandhi at 12:45 am on Tuesday and had asked him to appear again by 11 am on Tuesday. The Wayanad MP reached the ED office at 11: 20 am and did not leave for lunch on Tuesday. He was questioned till night. He took a half-hour break around 8 pm and re-joined the session. He has been questioned for almost 50 hours so far.
It was not known immediately if he has been called again. Sources also said that Rahul has claimed ignorance about financial details in and told the ED team that Motilal Vora, the longest serving treasurer of the Congress, who passed away in December 2020, was dealing with the whole affair.
Based on Rahul Gandhi’s answers and ED investigations, questions will be asked to Congress president Sonia Gandhi who has been asked to appear before the agency on June 23. She was discharged from a private hospital in New Delhi on Monday where she had been admitted for Covid-related complications and has now been advised rest.
The Congress continued its protests against the ED’s summons to the Gandhis. Party leaders staged a Satyagraha at the headquarters alleging misuse of the probe agency and harassment of its leaders. Those who took part in the protest included Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel.