ED summons Sonia Gandhi for second round of questioning on July 25: Officials

Congress president Sonia Gandhi (File image: PTI)

The Enforcement Directorate has 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, officials said on Thursday.

The Congress leader, who is recovering from Covid, was questioned for about two hours on Thursday. The questioning of the 75-year-old ended at her request, officials said. However, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the ED told Sonia Gandhi that they had no further questions and she could leave.

Sonia 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 Sonia Gandhi said she was willing to appear on Monday, Ramesh added. An ED official said she was initially summoned again on July 26 but this was advanced to July 25 at her insistence. Her statement will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) like it was done for just over two hours on Thursday.

She replied to about 27 top 28 questions on Thursday. Following this, she told the officials that she needs to take her medicines at home owing to her recent Covid recovery and the agency allowed ending the day's session. According to sources, while the Congress president was leaving, the ED asked her to depose on July 26 but Gandhi suggested that she can come on July 25, to which both sides agreed.

The probe relates to alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns the National Herald newspaper.