ED sets up preliminary inquiry in National Herald case

The inquiry was set up “just to establish whether there is a case or not.”

The ED registered an enquiry, on the basis of a complaint by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, in the case to find out if there was any money laundering angle involved in it.

The ED director entrusted the headquarter investigation unit with the task. The action was taken on a day when the Delhi High Court would hear Congress plea against the income tax summons to party chief Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

Earlier, a Delhi court on June 26 had summoned Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald scam.

The court had asked the duo to appear before it on Aug 7 for allegedly misappropriating funds worth Rs.2000 crore of The National Herald newspaper. The court also summoned Congress leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandez, journalist Suman Dubey and technocrat Sam Pitroda in the case.

However, the Gandhis and the Congress are on a denial mode alleging vindictiveness by the new BJP government which stormed to power in May this year winning the general election.

“This kind of political witch hunt will only help us and help us to come back faster,” Sonia Gandhi had told media persons on the issue.

The National Herald newspaper was established in Lucknow on Sept ember 9, 1938 by first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru. The paper finally ceased operations in 2008.

The National Herald, before its closure was being run by Associated Journals. There were reports that the paper was being revived under journalist Suman Dubey, technocrat Sam Pitroda and the newly incorporated, Sonia Gandhi-owned Young India Company headquartered at Herald House.

The paper was to have come out by Children’s Day in 2011 but Rahul Gandhi, a member of the board of the Young India Company had denied any plans on the part of the company to revive the paper.