National Herald: What Sonia Gandhi said when asked whether she will appear before court

New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi have been summoned to appear before Delhi's Patiala House court in connection with National Herald case on Saturday.

When Sonia was today asked, whether she will appear in court tomorrow, the Rae Bareilly MP gave a short reply saying 'naturally'.

 

Meanwhile, the Congress has made it clear that its leaders and supporters have been directed not to throng Delhi on December 19 when party president and vice president are scheduled to appear in a trial court here in the National Herald case.

The Delhi High Court this month dismissed a plea of the Gandhis to quash the summons issued to them for personal appearance by a trial court in the case.

The trial court later asked them to appear before it on December 19.

 

Along with the Gandhis, five other accused -- Suman Dubey, Moti Lal Vohra, Oscar Fernandez, Sam Pitroda and Young India Ltd -- had challenged the summons issued to them by a trial court on a complaint by Subramanian Swamy against them for alleged cheating and misappropriation of funds in taking control of the now-defunct daily.

On June 26 last year, the trial court issued summons to the Congress leaders on Swamy`s complaint about "cheating" in the acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), which ran the National Herald, by Young India Ltd (YIL) -- "a firm in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi each own a 38 percent stake".