Sonia, Rahul get bail in Herald case, attack Modi

He accused the NDA government of ignoring welfare of people and according priority to complicating the case, though the Enforcement Directorate had given a clean chit to the Congress leaders.

Around 2.30 PM, Priyanka Vadra accompanied by a host of Congress heavyweights including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sheila Dikshit, Ambika Soni arrived and deboarded their vehicles few metres away from the court premises.

Congress treasurer Motilal Vora, Gandhis’ family friend Suman Dubey and another party leader Oscar Fernandes and Sam Pitroda, a former chairman of the National Innovation Council, had been named as accused in the case. I know them (BJP leaders) personally.

“I tell Congress, that is why your name is spoiled… you are losing this case, that is why you are doing all this”.

The Magistrate made it clear that no exemption from personal appearance will be granted to any accused for the next date of hearing.

In the case, a prominent member of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged the Gandhis misused party funds to illegally acquire real estate assets worth millions of dollars.

A trial court had on June 26 past year issued summons to the Congress leaders on Mr Swamy’s compliant about “cheating” in the acquisition of AJL by Young India Ltd, a firm in which the two Gandhis had each a 38 per cent share.

Swamy then said that a condition should be imposed that the accused should not be allowed to travel overseas without the permission of the court and they should submit their passports to the court.

The judge was also of the view that “the gravity of the allegations levelled against petitioners (Sonia, Rahul and others) has a fraudulent flavour involving a national political party and so, serious imputations smacking of criminality levelled against petitioners need to be properly looked into”.