Court fixes Jan 8 for Swamy's cross-examination in National Herald case

A Delhi court Saturday fixed January 8, 2019 for BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's cross-examination in the National Herald case, filed by him against Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, his mother Sonia Gandhi and others.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal also deferred till the next date the order on an application moved by senior Congress leader and an accused in the case, Motilal Vora, seeking to restrain Swamy from tweeting about the case.

In his application, Vora has alleged that Swamy is trying to influence the court proceedings with his tweets. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader has denied the allegation and asserted that he has "every right to tweet".

Swamy, in a private criminal complaint, had accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by paying just Rs 5 million, through which the Young Indian (YI) Private Limited obtained the right to recover the Rs 902.5 million the Associate Journals Limited owed to the Congress.

The recording of Swamy's statement as a complainant-witness in the case was concluded recently.

Vora had earlier told the court that Swamy was indulging in "character assassination" of the accused by tweeting.

All the seven accused in the case -- Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Vora, senior Congress leaders Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey andSam Pitrodaand the YI -- have denied the allegations levelled against them.

The court had summoned the accused on June 26, 2014. On December 19, 2015, it had granted bail to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Vora, Fernandes and Dubey, who had appeared before it pursuant to summonses.

Pitroda was also granted bail on February 20, 2016 when he had appeared in the court.

Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Vora, Fernandes, Dubey and Pitroda were summoned for alleged misappropriation of property, criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy.