Tax evasion case: SC to hear pleas of Rahul, Sonia on Tuesday
New Delhi, Nov 13 (IBNS): The Supreme Court on Tuesday will hear the petitions filed by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi against the Delhi High Court's order refusing to grant them relief in the tax evasion case, media reports said.
A bench of Justices A K Sikri and S Abdul Nazeer will hear the pleas filed by the topmost Congress leaders in the case, which pertains to reopening of tax assessments for 2011-2012.
The bench will also hear the plea of veteran Congress leader Oscar Fernandes.
The income tax probe began after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Subramanian Swamy filed a criminal complaint against Rahul-Sonia before a trail court in connection with the National Herald case. Both Rahul and Sonia are out on bail.
Swamy alleged that properties worth Rs 5,000 crore belonging to the now-defunct newspaper were usurped by the Gandhis through fraudulent papers. He accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by first loaning the money to AJL and then assigning the debt to YIL for Rs 50 lakh.
Swamy alleged that the Congress has written off the remaining Rs 89.5 crore.
National Herald newspaper was started by former Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1938 during the freedom struggle. It originally served as a mouthpiece of the Congress. Over the decades circulation and finances dropped, before it finally closed in 2008 with a debt of Rs 90 crore.
In 2014, the trial court asked Sonia and Rahul to appear in the case. On Dec 7, 2015, the high court dismissed their appeal and asked questions about the legality of the unsecured loan. They were also directed to appear before the trial court.
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