Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi, who had tested positive for COVID-19, has written to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking postponement of her appearance before the agency in connection with the National Herald case. She was scheduled to appear before the ED in the money laundering case on June 23.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took to Twitter to inform about the development. He said, "Since she's been strictly advised rest at home following her hospitalisation on account of COVID-19 and lung infection, Congress Pres(ident) Sonia Gandhi has written to the ED today seeking postponement of her appearance there by a few weeks till she's recovered completely."

Following this, the ED is learnt to have accepted Sonia Gandhi's request. The probe agency is yet to decide the next date for the fresh summons to her, sources to news agency ANI said.

Sonia Gandhi had tested positive for COVID-19 on June 2. She was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi on June 12 after profuse bleeding from the nose. She was then discharged on Monday, June 20.

Earlier, Gandhi, 75, was scheduled to appear before the ED in a money laundering case on June 8 but had sought more time from the probe agency in view of her contracting COVID-19. The agency had then issued fresh summons to her to appear before it on June 23.

Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were summoned by the ED in the National Herald case weeks ago. The case pertains to the alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper. The National Herald is published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL).

The first family of the Congress, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, are among the promoters and shareholders of Young Indian. Rahul was questioned by the ED for over 27 hours for three straight days from June 13 to June 15 and was again summoned on June 20. On June 20, he was questioned for around 14 hours. He was later questioned for around 12 hours on Day 5 — on June 21, news agency ANI reported.

(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)

First Published:Jun 22, 2022 5:28 PM IST