Senior Cong leader seeks Speaker's intervention in Rahul's ED grilling

New Delhi, June 15 (IANS) Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking the latter's intervention in the questioning of Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate for three days in a row in connection with the National Herald case.

Chowdhury claimed that Rahul Gandhi has been tormented by the ED for three consecutive days now.

"He has been grilled for 10 to 11 hours on an average per day on the pretext of examining some wild allegations," Chowdhury said.

The Congress leader added that such "inhumane" treatment of a Member of Parliament smacks of a heinous conspiracy to settle political scores.

"We all regard you as our custodian and hence we seek your intervention to stop the humiliation being meted out to Rahul Gandhi," the letter said.

After being grilled by the ED for three consecutive days, Rahul Gandhi will not be questioned by the agency on Thursday. However, an ED source said the agency will question Rahul Gandhi again on Friday.

"He has been given a day's rest," the source said.

On Tuesday, the three-member team recording his statements questioned Rahul Gandhi till past 10 p.m. following which the Congress leader left the ED headquarters at around 11:45 p.m.

On Monday, his questioning had ended at about 9 p.m. However, since he reportedly wanted to correct a few parts of his statements, he had to wait for a few more hours at the ED headquarters here.

Gandhi was reportedly questioned about a few transactions made by Kolkata-based Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd.

Sonia Gandhi, who is presently admitted to the hospital for Covid related health issues, has also been summoned on June 23 in the same case.