The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Congress leader Salman Khurshid’s wife Louise Khurshid for questioning in a money-laundering investigation linked to alleged misuse of government funds in the distribution of artificial limbs and equipment by a trust headed by her, sources said on Saturday.
She has been asked to appear at the ED zonal office in Lucknow on February 15 for recording her statement under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. Two days ago, an MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly issued an arrest warrant against Louise Khurshid and another accused in this case and fixed February 16 as the next date of hearing.
Salman Khurshid also served as a Union minister in the UPA government.
The ED’s money laundering case stems from the state police’s FIR of 2017. Special Public Prosecutor Achintya Dwivedi said that during 2009-10, a program for the distribution of artificial limbs and equipment was organized by Dr. Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust for Disabled Persons, run by Dr. Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust of Louise Khurshid in Bhojipura area of the district.
The government initiated an investigation after receiving allegations of discrepancies. It was found that government funds were misused by using fake seals and signatures in the program, he said.
There were three main accused in the case, including the project manager of the trust Louise Khurshid, the trust’s representative Pratyush Shukla, and its secretary Athar Farooqui. Shukla died a few years ago. According to sources, the ED has recorded the statement of Shukla’s wife and some others and has now asked Louise Khurshid to join the probe.
The Uttar Pradesh Police filed a charge sheet against both the accused in court. The court had issued summons to the accused several times but they neither appeared nor obtained bail in the case.
