The Enforcement Directorate on Friday issued fresh summons to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to be questioned in a money laundering case related to the National Herald newspaper, PTI reported.

On Wednesday, Gandhi was asked to join the investigation on June 2, but he sought a fresh date from the central agency as he is currently not in the country. He has now been asked to appear on June 13 at the agency headquarters in Delhi.

The National Herald is published by Associated Journals Limited and owned by Young Indian Private Limited. It was founded and edited by Jawaharlal Nehru before he became India’s first prime minister.

In April 2008, the paper suspended operations as it had incurred a debt of over Rs 90 crore. Bharatiya Janata Party MP Subramanian Swamy has accused Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi of setting up the Young Indian Private Limited firm to buy the debt using the Congress funds.

In his complaint before a trial court, Swamy accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate the funds. He has alleged that the Young Indian firm paid only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that the Associate Journals Limited owed to the Congress.

The party had loaned the amount to Associated Journals Limited on an interest-free basis, according to court records. The Congress has claimed that there was no money exchange and only conversion of debt into equity took place to pay off dues like salaries.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate has summoned Sonia Gandhi for questioning on June 8. She has, however, tested positive for Covid-19 and is currently in isolation. She will still appear before the agency, her party has said.