National Herald case: Sonia Gandhi again summoned by ED on July 25
An Air India Boeing 787 operating as flight AI 934 from Dubai to Cochin had to be diverted to Mumbai due to pressurisation loss in the cabin.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday summoned Congress president Sonia Gandhi for a second round of questioning in a money-laundering case related to the National Herald newspaper on July 25.
The Congress leader, who is recovering from Covid-19, was questioned for over two hours earlier in the day. Reports indicated that the questioning of the 75-year-old ended on Gandhi’s request, but Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and P Chidambaram said the ED told the party chief that they had no further questions and she could leave.
Gandhi in turn said she would be willing to respond to any other questions they might have and was ready to stay on till 8 pm or 9 pm if necessary, Ramesh posted on Twitter. She also said she was a Covid patient and needed to take her medicines so she should be informed about what time she should appear next.
According to Ramesh, the ED said it had nothing to ask of her either Thursday or Friday. After which Gandhi said she was willing to appear on Monday, Ramesh added.
Chidambaram alleged that the ED had no more questions after 3 pm and it was the central agency, and not Gandhi, which concluded the questioning.
“The ED had no more questions after 3 pm. Despite Mrs Sonia Gandhi offering to continue to be available for questioning, the ED concluded the questioning today. We were allowed to leave the Kingsway Camp police lines at 4 pm,” Chidambaram tweeted, adding that he was on his way home.
An ED official said she was initially summoned again on July 26 but this was advanced to July 25 at her insistence. The day was a show of strength for the party with street protests and leaders courting arrests across the country.
Gandhi was questioned by the same assistant director-level investigation officer who interrogated her son Rahul Gandhi in the case – related to alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns National Herald. A woman officer was part of the questioning team, PTI added.