Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi
New Delhi:
Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have been excused from appearing in a court tomorrow in the National Herald case as their appeal will be heard by the Delhi High Court.
The Gandhis had been summoned by a city court judge in a case filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, which accuses them of cheating and criminal breach of trust.
The Gandhis are the top two leaders of the Congress party, which was decimated in the national election in May. Mr Swamy alleges they broke the law to grab valuable properties in Delhi, including the office of the National Herald, a newspaper that was set up in 1938 by Jawaharlal Nehru.
The newspaper, first published from the northern city of Lucknow in 1938, played a prominent role promoting nationalist sentiment before India's independence from Britain in 1947.
But dogged by bad management, poor circulation and falling revenue, Congress president Sonia Gandhi decided to close the publication in 2008.
Mr Swamy alleged that the Gandhis aimed to grab property worth several thousand crores owned by the newspaper's publishing firm, Associated Journals, using fake papers.
He first filed the case in 2001, blaming the Congress top bosses of illegally acquiring the newspaper's assets, by floating a new private company, Young Indian, using a 90-crore loan from the Congress, illegal because political parties cannot give loans for commercial reasons. Both Gandhis are directors of the new company, owning 76 per cent stake in Young Indian.
In June, metropolitan magistrate Gomati Manocha, who is hearing the case said, "I have found prima facie evidence against all the accused. The court has directed them to appear before it on August 7."
The Gandhis challenged it, which will be heard by the High Court next Wednesday.
Former union minister Kapil Sibal, who is representing the Congress leaders, said in court that the case was "most unfortunate" and based on propaganda.
The Gandhis had been summoned by a city court judge in a case filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, which accuses them of cheating and criminal breach of trust.
The Gandhis are the top two leaders of the Congress party, which was decimated in the national election in May. Mr Swamy alleges they broke the law to grab valuable properties in Delhi, including the office of the National Herald, a newspaper that was set up in 1938 by Jawaharlal Nehru.
The newspaper, first published from the northern city of Lucknow in 1938, played a prominent role promoting nationalist sentiment before India's independence from Britain in 1947.
But dogged by bad management, poor circulation and falling revenue, Congress president Sonia Gandhi decided to close the publication in 2008.
Mr Swamy alleged that the Gandhis aimed to grab property worth several thousand crores owned by the newspaper's publishing firm, Associated Journals, using fake papers.
He first filed the case in 2001, blaming the Congress top bosses of illegally acquiring the newspaper's assets, by floating a new private company, Young Indian, using a 90-crore loan from the Congress, illegal because political parties cannot give loans for commercial reasons. Both Gandhis are directors of the new company, owning 76 per cent stake in Young Indian.
In June, metropolitan magistrate Gomati Manocha, who is hearing the case said, "I have found prima facie evidence against all the accused. The court has directed them to appear before it on August 7."
The Gandhis challenged it, which will be heard by the High Court next Wednesday.
Former union minister Kapil Sibal, who is representing the Congress leaders, said in court that the case was "most unfortunate" and based on propaganda.
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