Delhi High Court on Monday had refused to quash the summons to Rahul and Sonia Gandhi to appear on Tuesday before a trial court in the National Herald case saying “serious imputations smacking of criminality levelled against petitioners need to be properly looked into”..While Gandhis Lawyers will seek issuance of fresh summons against them as the earlier summons have not been served to them.
Meanwhile,Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday morning left for Puducherry to visit the rain-affected areas.
The summons were issued on a criminal complaint lodged by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy for alleged cheating and misappropriation of funds in acquiring ownership of the now-defunct daily National Herald.. “They have to be present in the court, or they will face a warrant. Sam Pitroda has a foreign passport. I don’t know about Rahul. He is denying CBI inquiry,” said Swamy.
Rahul is scheduled to visit flood-battered Chennai as well.
The Congress vice-president informed about his tour through Twitter,”Will visit flood affected areas in Tamil Nadu & Puducherry tomorrow, Tuesday 8th Dec (sic).”
Will visit flood affected areas in Tamil Nadu & Puducherry tomorrow, Tuesday 8th Dec
— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 7, 2015
The court, in its judgement, has also questioned the need for extending interest-free loan to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) the publishers of National Herald. “Where was need to extend interest free loan,” it said.
The trial court had on 26 June, 2014 summoned all the above accused to appear before it on 7 August, 2014 on Swamy’s complaint.