National Herald case |
A day before Congress President Sonia Gandhi was scheduled to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED), she on June 22 has written to the agency to seek a postponement for a few weeks to fully recover from COVID-related issues.
The Congress chief had been summoned by the ED for questioning in a money laundering case related to National Herald newspaper on June 23.
The agency is said to have accepted the request and Ms. Gandhi could now been given a date for third week of July. There is, however, no formal statement from either the investigative agency or the Congress party on a fresh date.
Also read: Explained | What is the National Herald case and why has the ED summoned Sonia and Rahul Gandhi?
“Since she has been strictly advised rest at home following her hospitalisation on account of COVID-19 and lung infection, Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi has written to ED today seeking the postponement of her appearance there by a few weeks till she has recovered completely,” Jairam Ramesh, Congress’ communication chief, had said earlier in a tweet.
Originally summoned to appear before the agency on June 8 in connection with the National Herald case, Ms. Gandhi, 75, had tested COVID-positive on June 2.
Though the ED had given June 23 as the new date, the Congress chief had to be hospitalised on June 12, following an episode of nasal bleeding and an infection in the respiratory tract.
On Monday evening, she was discharged from the Sir Gangaram hospital but has been advised complete rest, prompting her to write to the agency to seek a postponement of the questioning.
