Saturday, December 19, 2015

Sonia, Rahul appear in court, granted bail

Sonia, Rahul appear in court, granted bail
Patiyala: Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, 19th December 2015, appeared in a trial Court here in the National Herald case filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and were granted unconditional bail.

Outside, the party engaged in a political battle, attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "targeting his opponents" and terming Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy his "stooge."

The top two Congress leaders appeared at 3 p.m. before Metropolitan Magistrate Loveleen in the Patiala House courts in the case filed by Swamy.

The party rallied behind its leaders with former prime minister Manmohan Singh and party's leaders in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Ghulam Nabi Azad present in the court. Sonia Gandhi's daughter Priyanka Gandhi  Vadra was also there.

Congress workers had been thronging the party's central office on 24, Akbar Road since morning to express solidarity with the leaders. They later expressed their joy at the two top party leaders getting bail.

Shortly after returning from the court, both the Gandhis accused Modi of seeking to bend his opponents and said they were not afraid and will fight back. The BJP hit back, terming the Congress as closely linked with "corruption."

Kapil Sibal, who appeared on behalf of the Congress leaders, told reporters that the court rejected Swamy's plea to impose restrictions on the travel abroad of Congress leaders.

"We moved an application on behalf of all the accused for grant of bail. The court was kind enough to grant bail without conditions except for furnishing security in the sum of Rs. 50,000 on behalf of each of the accused which were furnished," he told reporters after the hearing.

The trial court also granted bail to Congress treasurer Motilal Vora, Gandhis' family friend Suman Dubey and another party leader Oscar Fernandes who also appeared before it.
Congress leader A.K. Antony gave surety for Sonia Gandhi while Priyanka Gandhi gave surety for her brother Rahul Gandhi.

Another accused Sam Pitroda, a former chairman of the National Innovation Council was granted exemption from personal appearance after he moved a plea for the same.
The court fixed the next date of hearing for February 20 at 2 p.m.

The Delhi High Court this month dismissed the Gandhis' plea to quash the summons issued to them by the trial court on June 26, on Swamy's complaint about "cheating" in the acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd., which published the National Herald newspaper, by Young India Ltd., "a firm in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi each own a 38 percent stake".


Sonia and Rahul Gandhi disembarked a few metres before the court premises and walked inside amid tight security.

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