The Enforcement Directorate (ED), intensifying its investigation into a money laundering case related to the National Herald newspaper, summoned three more Congress leaders—P. Sudarshan Reddy, J Geeta Reddy, and Mohammad Ali Shabbir—for questioning.
According to TV reports, they have been asked to appear before the ED next week. The summons come as the former ministers allegedly transferred funds to the National Herald from their respective companies.
Sudarshan Reddy is a three-time MLA from the Bodhan constituency, while J Geeta Reddy is the president of the Telangana Congress Committee. Shabbir is a former Minister and former Leader of the Opposition in the Telangana Legislative Council.
National Herald case
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy filed a private complaint in 2013, accusing Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds. He highlighted that Young Indian Pvt Ltd paid only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that Associated Journals Limited owed to Congress.
On December 19, 2015, the mother-son duo was granted bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 each and a surety after the court ruled out apprehension that they will flee the country.
The probing agency, later, registered a case under PMLA after a Delhi-based trial court took cognizance of the IT probe against Young Indian Pvt Ltd. The IT department's investigation wing submitted a detailed Tax Evasion Petition against some persons including Rahul Gandhi.
The Congress president was originally summoned by the ED on June 8, her appearance date was pushed forward to July 21 after she tested COVID-19 positive. The Gandhi mother-son suo were grilled for over 54 hours spread over 5 days.
On August, the ED carried out raids in Delhi's Herald House, the head office of the National Herald newspaper, and other locations, as a part of investigation, aiming to gather additional evidence against those entities who were involved in the case and get the details of funds transferred.
