National Herald case: Delhi Court adjourns hearing till January 8 for Subramanian Swamy's cross-examination

A Delhi court on Saturday adjourned the hearing in the year-old National Herald case till January 8, for the cross-examination of BJP leader and complainant Subramanian Swamy. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal also deferred the pronouncement of order on an application moved by Congress leader Motilal Vora, seeking directions to restrain Swamy from posting derogatory tweets regarding the case. In his application, Vora has alleged that Swamy is trying to influence the court proceedings with his tweets. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader has denied the allegation and asserted that he has "every right to tweet".

Swamy, in a private criminal complaint, had accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by paying just Rs 50 lakh, through which the Young Indian (YI) Private Limited obtained the right to recover the Rs 90.25 crore the Associate Journals Limited owed to the Congress.

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The recording of Swamy's statement as a complainant-witness in the case was concluded recently. Vora had earlier told the court that Swamy was indulging in "character assassination" of the accused by tweeting.

All the seven accused in the case -- Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Vora, senior Congress leaders Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda and the Young Indian have denied the allegations levelled against them.

The court had summoned the accused on June 26, 2014. On December 19, 2015, it had granted bail to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Vora, Fernandes and Dubey, who had appeared before it pursuant to summonses.

Pitroda was also granted bail on February 20, 2016, when he had appeared in the court?

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Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Vora, Fernandes, Dubey and Pitroda were summoned for alleged misappropriation of property, criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy.

(With inputs from agencies)