National Herald case: Delhi HC issues notice to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi

Delhi High Court issued a notice to Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Subramaniam Swamy`s plea challenging the trial court order regarding the summoning of various documents and witnesses. A bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait slated the matter for April 12, 2021.

New Delhi: Delhi High Court issued a notice to Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Subramaniam Swamy`s plea challenging the trial court order regarding the summoning of various documents and witnesses.

A bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait while issued notice to all respondents also stayed the further cross-examination of Subramanian Swamy and slated the matter for April 12, 2021.

Earlier the trial court had said that Subramanian Swamy`s application filed shall be considered, after the evidence of the complainant is over.

Swamy, in his application, had said that this case is a quintessential case of documentary evidence and therefore these documents need to be proved through their witnesses.

"Due to the fact that there are many documents that have been annexed to the chief examination of the complainant, which are public documents, which have been marked; these are certified copies of these public documents. Due to the fact that these are marked documents, these documents need to be proved through the testimony of the appropriate witnesses," the application said.

Through the application, Swamy sought summoning of Secretary-General Sanjeev S Kalgaonar (Registry officer) Supreme Court of India, Rajnish Kumar Jha (Deputy Land and Development officer), Saket Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax Circle-1, Congress official who issued a press statement on November 2, 2012, and Journalist J Gopi Krishnan.

Sonia and Rahul Gandhi`s lawyer RS Cheema had earlier partly cross-examined Subramanian Swamy in the matter.

The National Herald case, which was filed by Swamy, is being heard by a special court in Delhi`s Rouse Avenue against Sonia, Rahul, and other associated persons. According to Swamy`s complaint, Associated Journals Limited (AJL) had taken an interest-free loan of Rs 90.25 crores from the Indian National Congress. 

It is alleged that the loan was not repaid. Swamy had filed the case in 2012 accusing Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds.

He had stated that the Congress party granted an interest-free loan of Rs 90.25 crores to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), owner of the National Herald newspaper.