Delhi HC stays proceedings against Sonia's aide in DA case

Vincent George had approached the High Court challenging the July 18 order of the Special Judge

Congress President Sonia Gandhi's close aide Vincent George today got some relief from the Delhi High Court which stayed trial court proceedings against him in a 12-year-old disproportionate assets case.

Justice Veena Birbal stayed the proceedings on a plea filed by George challenging the trial court order summoning him as an accused in the case.

"The proceedings before the special judge are stayed," Justice Birbal said.

Appearing for George, senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul cited several Supreme Court judgements and said, "It is a fit case for stay of proceedings. CBI has filed a closure report after they could not locate anything in the case. This is a pure case of harassment of my client."

On the last date of hearing, Justice J R Midha had recused himself from hearing the case without citing any reason.

George was supposed to appear before the special court on August 30.

George had approached the High Court challenging the July 18 order of the Special Judge rejecting CBI's closure report and summoning him as an accused in the case, saying there was sufficient material to proceed against him.

"Final report filed by CBI is not accepted. Further, it is held that sufficient material is available on record for proceeding against Vincent George for the offence punishable Under Section 13(1)(e) of Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) relating to possession of assets by a public servant disproportionate to known sources of income.

"He be summoned as an accused for offence punishable under section 13(1)(e) of PCA, 1988, for August 30," the trial court had said in its order.

An FIR was registered against George in 2001, when the NDA was in power, by the CBI in which he was alleged to have been in possession of disproportionate assets from November 1984 to December 1990, a charge trashed by him.