New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Indian National Congress (INC), was grilled by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the National Herald case for about ten hours in over two sessions on Monday. Sources said he has been summoned again today for further questioning.
Besides Rahul, his mother, the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi was also summoned by the ED office. Although, she was admitted to a hospital in New Delhi with health issues related to coronavirus (COVID-19) just a day before she was supposed to appear before the court.
The agency filed the money laundering case recently after a trial court took note of a private complaint against Young Indian Pvt Ltd.
The private complainant had leveled allegations of cheating, conspiracy, and criminal breach of trust in the purported acquisition of the Associated Journals Limited -- which ran the newspaper -- by Young Indian Pvt Ltd.
Congress has alleged that the questioning is part of the ruling BJP's "vendetta politics".
Mr Gandhi's questioning started on Monday morning amid a police crackdown on a massive Congress protest.
Congress had planned protests across the country outside the offices of the Enforcement Directorate. In Delhi, senior leaders including party MPs were to march with Mr. Gandhi from the party office to the offices of the Enforcement Directorate.
But the Delhi Police, which had refused permission for the protest march last evening, started action early this morning, rounding up Congress workers and leaders.
With the police barricading the ED office, the top leaders who accompanied Mr. Gandhi sat in a protest outside the barricade after he went in.
Shortly after, many leaders, including P Chidambaram, Adhir Ranjan Chaudhari, KC Venugopal, Deepender Hooda, and Jairam Ramesh were detained and ferried to the police station on buses.
Videos emerged of leaders being manhandled. Mr. Venugopal was seen physically picked up and carried towards a waiting bus. Mr. Chidambaram had a fractured rib after being pushed by Delhi Police, said senior leader Randeep Surjewala.
Another Congress leader, Pramod Tiwari, was thrown on the road and suffered a head injury, Mr. Surjewala added.
Sources said leaders who were detained at the Tughlak Road police station -- including KC Venugopal, Harish Rawat, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury -- have been released.