Sonia-Rahul to face trial in National Herald Case.
In a big setback to Congress leadership, Supreme Court refuses to stay proceedings against Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald cheating case.
But the Gandhis get exemption from personal appearance in the trial court.
The Supreme Court provided relief to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul, giving them exemption from personal appearance in the trial court in the National Herald case and expunging certain observations of the High Court but refused to interfere with criminal proceedings pending before the lower court.
Allowing their plea for exemption from personal appearance before the trial court, which is scheduled to take up the matter on February 20, the apex court added a rider that it would be open to the magistrate at any stage to seek their personal appearance as and when required.
Complainant in the National Herald Case and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy termed the verdict of the apex court as his own victory.
The case is based on a private criminal complaint lodged by Subramanian Swamy against the accused of cheating, conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.
Swamy had accused Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriating funds by just paying Rs 50 lakh by which Young Indians obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore which the Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the publisher of National Herald, had owed to the Congress party.
