The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday recorded the statements of two Congress leaders, J. Geetha Reddy and Gali Anil Kumar, from Telangana in connection with the National Herald case.
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The agency had summoned them for some clarifications allegedly pertaining to the donations made through an entity associated with the National Herald newspaper. Ms. Reddy, former State Minister, is said to have given clarification regarding her payments to the newspaper.
Sources said Ms. Reddy made it clear that everything paid was legal and was through cheques to help the newspaper pay pending salaries and settle the financial issues of the retired employees. Mr. Kumar, who had earlier contested as the party candidate in the parliamentary elections, also appeared before the ED.
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A few days ago, former State Minister Shabbir Ali had also joined the probe and given clarifications with regard to the payments made by him. He had earlier stated that the payments made to the newspaper were done through bank cheques and from known sources of income.
Former State Minister P. Sudarshan Reddy and former MP Anjan Kumar Yadav are likely to present themselves before the ED on October 10. Mr. Yadav is not well, his family members said, and he would get his statement recorded at a later date. The Congress leaders received ED notices last month for their donations to the National Herald newspaper and the Young Indian management.
The notices came after Congress president Sonia Gandhi and MP Rahul Gandhi — who owned 38% shares each in the Young Indian — were called for questioning in the case. In August, the agency had searched the Young Indian premises in Delhi.
The ED investigation is into the allegation that Young Indian paid only ₹50 lakh to take over the rights to recover a ₹90.25-crore loan that the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) owed to the Congress. The party has denied the charge, stating that Young Indian is a not-for-profit company. The AJL runs the National Herald newspaper.