National Herald case: Court to pronounce order on Dec 26

New Delhi: Delhi's Patiala House Court on Friday reserved its order for December 26 on whether to summon certain documents from Congress party and Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), as sought by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Subramanian Swamy in connection with National Herald case filed against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and several others. 

Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen reserved his order after hearing the arguments of complainant Swamy and the accused, also including Congress leaders like Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda.

Swamy, in his plea, has sought the balance sheet of 2010-2011 of the Congress party and other documents of the Associated Journals Ltd relevant to the case.

After hearing the arguments of the complainant and defence counsel, Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen reserved order on the plea.

In the present application, Swamy has sought documents relating to a loan given by the Congress to the AJL, the holding firm of the National Herald, saying these were necessary for the purpose of trial.

Swamy had filed a complaint of cheating in the acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd , which published the National Herald newspaper, by Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YI), a firm in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi each own a 38 per cent stake.

Swamy has accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by paying just Rs 50 lakh by which Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YI) obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore which AJL owed to the Congress party. 

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, her son and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi, party leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda and Young Indian are accused in the case.