Court stays trial against Sonia Gandhi's former aide

The Delhi High Court Monday stayed trial court proceedings against Congress president Sonia Gandhi's former aide Vincent George, an accused in an illegal assets case.

Justice Veena Birbal stayed the trial court proceedings against George, who had challenged the July 18 order of the Central Bureau of Investigation Special Judge summoning him as an accused.

The trial court rejected the CBI's closure report which said there was sufficient material to proceed against him and had issued summons against him for Aug 30.

In 2000, a first information report was registered against George alleging that he possessed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income between November 1984 and December 1990.

While holding the office of public servant as private secretary to former prime minister and the then leader of opposition Rajiv Gandhi, he acquired assets in the name of his wife, children and close relatives in benami which were disproportionate to known sources of his income, it was alleged by the CBI.

The CBI closure report said that investigation had shown that foreign remittances which were included in the category of income of George and his family members came from the US and were sent by other family members as financial help.