Sonia Gandhi arrives at ED office for questioning in National Herald case

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday reached the Enforcement Directorate's office in New Delhi for questioning in the National Herald case.

Sonia Gandhi, 75, arrived at the federal probe agency's headquarters located at Vidyut Lane flanking A P J Abdul Kalam Road in central Delhi a little after noon escorted by her Z+ category CRPF security cover.

Sonia Gandhi, who was diagnosed with Covid recently, was seen wearing a mask and was accompanied by her children Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi.

The Delhi Police deployed a huge force and barricaded the entire over 1 km stretch between Sonia Gandhi's residence on Akbar Road-Janpath and the ED office even as traffic restrictions have been enforced around the area.

The party has slammed the agency's action against its top leadership and called it a "political vendetta".

The Congress chief is deposing on the third summons as she sought exemption on earlier dates of June 8 and June 23 owing to coronavirus infection.

Her statement will be recorded by the agency under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and it will be also be taped in an audio-video mode.

The agency, according to sources, will give her an option to either write down or dictate her answers to an ED staffer over computer, who will be present along with the investigating officer of the case.

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