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By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday grilled Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the alleged misappropriation of funds in the National Herald case amid vociferous protests by the party across the country claiming political vendetta. Rahul was questioned for almost 10 hours in two phases through the day. Three senior officials of the ED participated in the questioning.
“The team consists of two Assistant Directors and one Deputy Director,” said a senior ED official. Rahul also submitted a written statement under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. He has been asked to appear again for questioning on Tuesday.
The ownership of the National Herald published by the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) was later transferred to Young Indian Pvt Ltd, a deal that is now under the lens. Accompanied by sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party workers, Rahul reached the probe agency’s office on APJ Abdul Kalam Road amid heavy police deployment around 11.10 am.
Priyanka sat with Rahul in a vehicle as the convoy of seven SUVs, escorted by armed CRPF personnel, entered the ED office. Only Rahul was let in. Around 2.10 pm, Rahul left the ED office for lunch and went to meet his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who is convalescing from Covid at the Sir Ganga Ram hospital. He took permission to make the visit.
Rahul then joined the probe team again around 4 pm and stayed on till late night. To manage the march the party took out from its 24, Akbar Road headquarters to the ED office before Rahul presented himself for questioning, the police had placed barricades at several places en route.
All Congress bigwigs hit the streets in support of Rahul. A large number of party workers were taken under preventive custody for violating Section 144 CrPC that bans the assembly of more than four persons, which was imposed in central Delhi. Earlier in the day, the police had advised people to avoid certain stretches in wake of the Congress march. The ED has summoned Sonia to appear before it on June 23 in connection with the case.
Pushed by police, PC suffers hairline crack
Former Union minister P Chidambaram usffered a rib injury after he was pushed away by the police during the protest. He later said three big, burly policemen crashed into him, adding he was lucky to get away with a suspected hairline crack
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