Swamy submits list of witnesses in National Herald case

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Friday submitted a list of witnesses, which includes the name of Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi, in the National Herald case against Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi.

Swamy's counsel, Advocate Dilip Kumar, submitted the list of witnesses and other documents before the Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen.

The counsel also supplied the list to the defence counsel of the accused on the court's direction.

The list of witnesses includes the names of All India Congress Committee General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi, the Associated Journals' Chief Financial Officer Ashok Gupta and Company Secretary Suresh Kumar Sharma.

In the list, Swamy also wished to examine concerned officials from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), The Registrar of Companies, the Land and Development Office of Ministry of Urban Development and other government officials.

The court has now fixed the matter for March 25 for further hearing.

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

Swamy had filed a complaint about "cheating" in the acquisition of AJL, which published the National Herald newspaper, by Young Indian, "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.

--IANS

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