Congress sources told ANI on the condition of anonymity that 'Rahul Gandhi left the country on May 19 to participate in various public programs in London that were held on May 20 to May 23. Since then, he has not returned to India'.
The case pertains to the ED probe into the alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper.
Congress leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Randeep Surjewala said party president Sonia Gandhi has been summoned by the ED for questioning in a money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper on June 8, and she was determined to appear before the agency as she has nothing to hide.
The publisher had approached the high court on Monday challenging the October 30 order of the urban development ministry, ending its 56-year-old lease and asking it to vacate the premises in the press enclave at ITO in Delhi.
The HC rejected the appeal of AJL in which it had challenged the Centre's decision asking it to vacate the ITO premises.
The party also dismissed as 'absolutely false' the claim that Young Indian Ltd, the company formed in the wake of financial troubles concerning Associated Journals Ltd, was a 'real estate company'.
The party plans to take out a march to the ED office on APJ Abdul Kalam Road in a show of support for Gandhi when he appears before the agency.
The publisher had approached the high court on November 12 challenging the October 30 order of the urban development ministry, ending its 56-year-old lease and asking it to vacate the premises in the press enclave at ITO by November 15.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi to depose before it on July 21 for questioning in the National Herald newspaper-linked money-laundering case, officials said on Monday.
The 75-year-old Congress president, who was supposed to depose before the agency on Thursday, wrote a letter seeking more time on the grounds that the doctors had 'strictly advised her to rest at home following her hospitalisation on account of Covid and lung infection'.
What is the National Herald case all about? Here's a ready reckoner.
The Congress alleged that the money-laundering law has been weaponised to target and humiliate people, and urged the Supreme Court to decide soon on the matter concerning the National Herald-Associated Journals Limited case.
Irani said the show of strength by the Congress is aimed at putting pressure on the probe agency, and asserted that nobody is above the law "even Rahul Gandhi".
Initially, she was summoned by the agency on Monday but it was deferred by a day.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday wrote to the Enforcement Directorate seeking postponement of her appearance by a few weeks till she recovers completely from Covid and a lung infection.
The Delhi Police said that it has imposed section 144 CrPC preventing the assembly of more than four people in the area asking them not to violate the law.
Amid the raging row over National Herald case, the Congress on Sunday asserted that the allegations and "insinuations" against party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are "deliberately orchestrated", "patently false" and "defamatory" as they have "not received a rupee".
The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday questioned Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in a money laundering case related to the National Herald newspaper and summoned her for a second round of questioning in the case on July 25.
Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen rejected Swamy's application while giving him the last opportunity to submit the list of complainant witnesses in the case in which he has accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by paying just Rs 50 lakh through which Young Indian Pvt Ltd obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore which AJL owed to the Congress.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was questioned for over 10 hours by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering probe linked to the National Herald newspaper and was called to depose again on Tuesday, as his party protested across the country, alleging that the Centre was targeting the Opposition by misusing agencies.
The court's direction came after the counsel appearing for the Indian National Congress informed it that the party needed time to follow the March 11 order by which the documents were sought.
Congress leaders claim The Associated Journals Limited has 761 shareholders while the company shows more than 1,000
"If the Opposition gets into singing praises, then democracy will be destroyed," Sharma said.
The rejection of the pleas of the top Congress leaders, including Oscar Fernandes, will pave the way for the Income Tax Department to scrutinise their records for the assessment year 2011-12.
Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury was on Thursday seen in a video purportedly grabbing the collar of an on-duty police official during a protest called by her party, the act forcing the police to slap a case against her.
Neelabh Mishra had earlier been editor of Outlook Hindi and has done extensive work in areas of research and documentation including for the Right to Information movement.
The Congress alleged that Delhi Police personnel forcibly entered its headquarters and beat up party workers and leaders on Wednesday, on a day the party staged vociferous protests against the questioning of Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate for the third consecutive day.
She left the agency's office in central Delhi just before 7 pm on Tuesday after recording her statement.
The income tax probe against the Congress leaders has arisen from the investigation into the private criminal complaint filed by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy before a trial court in connection with the National Herald case, in which the trio are out on bail.
Besides INC's documents for the year 2010-2011, the court also summoned AJL's documents for the same assessment year.
Sonia and Rahul Gandhi moved the SC on Thursday against a Delhi HC decision that dismissed their appeals seeking a quashing of summons in the National Herald case.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, and Vice President Rahul Gandhi were on Thursday summoned by a local court as accused in a criminal complaint lodged by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy for alleged cheating and misappropriation of funds in acquiring ownership of now-defunct daily National Herald.
The court has now posted the matter for further hearing on May 15.
The Gandhis and senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes have challenged the Delhi high court's September 10 verdict by which their plea against the re-opening of their tax assessments for 2011-12 was dismissed.
The judge was also of the view that 'the gravity of the allegations levelled against petitioners (Sonia, Rahul and others) has a fraudulent flavour.
The Delhi high court on issued notice to BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on a batch of petitions filed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi and others in the case of alleged cheating and misappropriation of funds in acquiring ownership of the now-defunct daily National Herald.
The Congress may approach the Supreme Court seeking expunction of some adverse remarks made by the Delhi high court in the National Herald Case in which Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are among the accused.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul, Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda are accused in the case.
The case is understood to be related to the alleged irregularities in land allotment in 2009, sources said.
The Supreme Court on Thursday said it will consider the pleas of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi that their appeals against the Delhi high court verdict, refusing to quash summons issued to them in the National Herald case, be heard on Friday.
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