The High court is scheduled to hear Pitroda and Dubey’s petitions on April 18. Metropolitan Magistrate Loveleen who is hearing the matter at the Patiala House Court fixed May 5 as the next date of hearing.
Pursuant to a trial court directive, the Indian National Congress (INC) and The Associated Journals Limited (AJL) submitted balance sheets for the year 2010-2011 on Friday in the National Herald case.
Submitting the documents in a sealed cover, the accused parties through their lawyers pleaded the court to keep the documents sealed till he Delhi High Court decides two petitions filed by Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey, two of the six accused in the case, challenging the lower court order for submission of the documents.
The High court is scheduled to hear Pitroda and Dubey’s petitions on April 18. Metropolitan Magistrate Loveleen who is hearing the matter at the Patiala House Court fixed May 5 as the next date of hearing.
Last month, the MM allowed a plea by the complainant Subramanium Swamy, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and directed INC and AJL to submit their balance sheets for the year 2010-2011. However, while passing his direction, MM Loveleen stated, “At the very outset, the court must observe that the documents referred to in the present application are belong to two separate entities and that they could not be referred to as “Personal Documents” of accused persons.”
At the time, the court had also directed the accused to submit Balance Sheets, Receipts and Payments Accounts, Income and Expenditure Statements for a period of three years from 2010- 2013.
In a complaint filed by Swamy, the BJP leader has alleged that Sonia, Rahul and others of conspired to cheat and misappropriate funds. Swamy alleged that this was done by all the accused when they apparently advanced an interest free loan to AJPL to the tune of Rs 90 crore from the congress party funds. This, Swamy felt, was fraudulent not only to the party donors but also to the State Exchequer by claiming tax exemptions.
Swamy felt the summoning of the documents and its examination would substantiate his statements and the conspiracy could be exposed.
Five of the six accused were summoned to court as accused on December 19, 2015 and were granted bail by the trial court. Sam Pitroda was granted bail when he presented himself in court on February 20, 2016.
Sonia, Rahul, Vora (AICC Treasurer), Fernandes (AICC General Secretary), Dubey and Pitroda were summoned for alleged offences under section 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) read with section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "National Herald Case")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}