In the latest, Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) has moved a double bench of Delhi High court challenging the single bench order which had directed AJL to vacate Herald House within two weeks.
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What had come as a major setback to the Gandhi family, the Delhi High court on December 21, 2018, had dismissed the petition filed by Associated Journals Limited challenging the eviction order issued by the central government on October 30 and had asked the publishers of the Congress mouthpiece National Herald to vacate the ‘Herald House’ within two weeks.
According to the reports, the Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) had filed a plea in the Delhi High Court challenging the order issued by the Union Government asking them to vacate the premises of Herald House building in Delhi, which houses the offices of Congress mouthpiece National Herald.
The Union government in October last year had decided to take over the Herald House building in Delhi belonging to the Congress mouthpiece National Herald for violations of the specified conditions on which the land was allocated.
According to the reports, the Herald House was not being used for the specified purpose of printing the newspaper, which was the primary condition of leasing the land to the publisher at a highly nominal rate. The publishers have allegedly violated the condition and misused the allotted land. The inspection team had then also reported of finding unauthorised construction in the building.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, speaking before Justice Sunil Gaur of Delhi High Court had argued that AJL was given this property on a nominal cost to run a publication house but the company had rented out three floors of the building for a rent of Rs 15 crores, which according to lease terms was illegal. Following such irregularities, the Delhi High court had in December last year asked AJL to vacate the Herald House.
It is notable here that the much spoken about ‘National Herald case‘, which has made headlines quite a number of times, is considered one of the most eminent cases in Indian history as none other than the Gandhi’s, which is the oldest and most ‘prestigious’ Indian political family, are directly accused in the scam.
The Mother-Son duo of Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia, along with their aides – Oscar Fernandez, Motilal Vohra and Sam Pithroda are alleged to have involved in massive ‘cheating and breach of trust’ in the acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) by Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YIL), as assets worth crores of rupees had been allegedly transferred for purposes other than originally intended for a paltry sum. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi got unconditional bail in the case in December 2015.