The Patiala House Court gave relief to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case on Tuesday. The court dismissed BJP leader Subramanian Swamy’s the plea asking for additional documents from the Congress and Associated Journals Limited (AJL). The next date of hearing has been set for February 10 when Swamy will present witnesses.
Swamy had accused the Sonia Gandhi and her son, Rahul, among others, of “cheating” in the buyout of AJL by Young Indian Pvt. Ltd, “ a firm in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi each own 38 percent stake.” Swamy had alleged that the Gandhis had conspired to cheat and misappropriate funds by paying just Rs 50 lakh and enabling Young Indian to recover Rs 90.25 crore owed by AJL to the Congress party.
Others accused in the case are Congress leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey, and Sam Pitroda. Swamy tweeted that it was a “perverse order” and he would appeal it.
Earlier, trial court on January 11 and March 11, had ordered for documents from ministries of finance, urban development, and corporate affairs, income tax department to be submitted along with Congress party balance sheet of 2010-2011. These documents were submitted on April 8 by the Congress party and AJL. But on July 12, the Delhi High Court said that the order had been passed in a “casual manner” and set it aside. Swamy had then filed a new plea seeking documents connected to a loan given by the Congress to AJL, which is the National Herald’s holding company.
