National Herald case: Rahul Gandhi to now appear before ED on Monday

According to officials, the Wayanad MP had made the request citing the health condition of his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who has been in hospital due to Covid-related issues since Sunday.

 The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has accepted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s request to defer his questioning in the National Herald case from Friday to Monday, officials familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi leaves the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office after the second consecutive day of questioning in the National Herald case, in New Delhi on Tuesday. (ANI)

According to officials, the Wayanad MP had made the request citing the health condition of his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who has been in hospital due to Covid-related issues since Sunday.

Rahul Gandhi spent almost 30 hours, from Monday to Wednesday, with the central agency in the money laundering case.

The case relates to alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian (YI), which owns the National Herald newspaper. The ED registered a new case under the criminal provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after a trial court in Delhi took cognisance of an Income Tax department investigation into Young Indian Pvt Ltd on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.

Sonia Gandhi has also been summoned for questioning on June 23.