Our Correspondent /
Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi today got bail from Delhi High court in the National Herald case.
After a brief arguments Court awarded bail to Sonia and Rahul on surety of Rs 50000 each.
Amidst tight security, Sonia and Rahul and three other accused Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes and Suman Dubey appeared before Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen in the Patiala House courts complex in the heart of the capital in pursuance of the summons issued to them on Dec 8.
“The accused are reputed persons having deep political grassroots and there is no apprehension that they will flee,” the Magistrate noted while granting them bail on furnishing personal bond of Rs.50,000 each and one surety. He posted the case for further hearing at 2 PM on February 20, next year.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stood surety for Sonia, while Priyanka Vadra gave surety for her brother Rahul.
A K Antony stood surety for Fernandes and Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ajay Maken for the other accused. Sam Pitroda, yet another accused, was granted exemption from personal appearance today on medical grounds.
In his reaction, Swamy said all their claims that they would not seek bail proved false. “They said they will not take bail. What happened now,” he told reporters.
Mrs Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were summoned by the Court in a case of cheating in National Herald case.
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 now-defunct daily National Herald.
In 1938, Associated Journals Ltd, AJL, started as a public company to publish National Herald, which was a mouthpiece of Indian National Congress, patronised by Jawaharlal Nehru. AJL shuts down publication in 2008 due to fund crunch.
In November 2010, a private company called Young Indian, YI, is formed. Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi own 76% shares in the Young India and the rest of shares are owned by Congress leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes and others.
Young India Board of Directors offered to take over Rs 90 crore debt of AJL from Congress. AJL Chairman and Board agreed. In 2010, AJL increased its share equity by allotting large chunk of shares to YI in lieu of the debt owed to Congress. YI acquires complete control of AJL, including real estate assets.
Subramanian Swamy filed complaint in 2013, saying Gandhis siphoned off AJL’s public funds and acquired it illegally. A Delhi court summoned Sonia, Rahul and others as accused in June. Since then the case is sub-judiced.