Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar on Monday admitted to skipping the ED summons in connection with the alleged National Herald money laundering case and would seek two weeks time to make himself available before the central agency as he has prior political obligations.
“I respect the ED summons. I know that, but I had a preoccupation. More than a lakh people will be attending this programme (birthday bash of a paty worker), and my AICC President (Mallikarjun Kharge) is in Karnataka.
I also have political obligations. I will not run away from ED summons. I will answer them,” he told a section of the media here.
“I know my responsibility. So I request for the time. I don’t want to skip the summons, but it is inevitable,” he added.
Shivakumar further said he had honoured the ED summons during Bharat Jodo Yatra as he was in-charge of its Karnataka leg. He also claimed that he had already sent the documents that were sought by the ED.
“Whenever they will give me the next day, I will definitely make myself available before the agency,” he said.
On November 7, the ED had asked DK brothers about the money given to Young India. They had responded by saying that they gave away money to organisations that their leaders did since Jawaharlal Nehru and Gandhi.
The ED also questioned DK brothers about their source of income.
The National Herald case was filed on the basis of BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy’ private criminal complaint.
The complainant alleged that Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others conspired to cheat and misappropriate funds.
Swamy alleged that the Congress recovered Rs 90.25 crore owed by the Associated Journal Limited to the party via Young India Limited which paid just Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover.
Notably, the stakeholders of both the companies are Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi among others.
On 19 December 2015, the Gandhis were granted bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 each and a surety after the court ruled out apprehension that they will flee the country.
