In a big blow to the Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi, Delhi High Court has upheld the eviction of Associated Journals Limited (AJL) from Herald House, reports ANI.
The Delhi High Court was hearing the AJL appeal challenging the December 21, 2018, order of a single judge, dismissing its plea against the Union Government’s October 30 decision 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.
However, the bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao has not clarified on the time in which Associated Journals Limited has to evict the Herald building. The Bench had reserved its verdict on February 18 after hearing the counsel appearing for Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and the Centre.
The National Herald Scam is one of the most notable legal cases in Indian history since the Gandhis are directly accused. 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 December 2015.
The Union government had decided to take over the ‘Herald House’ building in Delhi belonging to the Congress mouthpiece National Herald after it had found severe violations. The Union government had contended that 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 had reportedly violated the condition and misused the allotted land.