The Delhi High Court on Monday granted a time period to the accused Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. The case was filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy who sought evidence before the trial court. Justice Suresh Kumar Kair, who heard the case in the HC has adjourned the hearing till May 18.
The Senior advocates Tarannum Cheema and R S Cheema representing the Congress leaders complained that they could not file replies as their office was close because of the Covid-19 situation. On February 22, the HC had sent notices seeking replies from Gandhis, Suman Dubey, Young Indian (YI), AICC general secretary Oscar Fernandes and Sam Pitroda over Swamy’s plea.
Swamy has moved the HC against a trial court request of February 11 declining his peition to lead proof to arraign the Gandhis and the other blamed for the situation. The trial court had said that Swamy’s application under area 244 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to lead proof would be considered after his assessment for the situation was finished.
Swamy has looked for gathering of some witnesses, including the secretary general of the Supreme Court, a delegate land and development official, and a deputy commissioner of Income Tax, and furthermore bearings to them to demonstrate certain archives which are important for the situation. In a private criminal grievance in the trial court, the BJP pioneer had accused the Gandhis and others for planning to cheat and abuse assets by paying just Rs 50 lakh, through which Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YI) got the option to recuperate Rs 90.25 crore that Associate Journals Ltd, proprietor of National Herald, owed to the Congress.
All those who are accused — the Gandhis, AICC general secretary Oscar Fernandes, Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda, YI and AICC treasurer Motilal Vora had refused the allegations.
Proceedings against Vora lessened resulting to his demise, while the others were brought by the trial court in 2014 for the supposed offenses of misappropriation of property, criminal penetrate of trust and cheating, read with criminal scheme of the Indian Penal Code.
