Order on Swamy's plea in National Herald case on December 26

A local court on Friday set December 26 for issuing an order on the plea of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, seeking summoning of documents of the Congress and Associated Journals Ltd in the National Herald case.

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.

The Delhi High Court on July 12 had quashed an order of a trial court summoning the same documents besides others relating to the Herald House from the Finance, Urban Development and Corporate Affairs ministries, Delhi Development Authority and the Registrar of Companies.

The high court had observed that the order was passed without giving any notice or opportunity of hearing to the opposite side. It had also directed Swamy to move the trial court again with a similar plea.

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 had accused them of allegedly conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by just paying Rs 50 lakh, through which Young Indian obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that the Associated Journals Ltd owed to the Congress.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi and 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.

The Delhi High Court in December 2015 dismissed the plea of the Gandhis to quash the summons issued by the trial court on Swamy's complaint.

--IANS

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