Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi faced a setback in the National Herald case after the Delhi High Court on Friday cleared its way for Income Tax investigation on the Young India company. The two Congress leaders are directors in Young Indian Private Limited. Refusing to intervene in the case, the Delhi HC said that the department has the right to investigate.
The High Court also said that the company cannot be arrogant and will have to submit their documents to the Income Tax department, a report on CNN News18 said. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is representing Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the court, has withdrawn the appeal following the HC decision. The Gandhis had approached the Delhi High Court to obtain a stay on the Income Tax probe against them. The Patiala House court had earlier allowed the investigation of Gandhis in the case.
#BREAKING — Setback for Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi — High Court clears way for I-T investigation on Gandhis in National Herald case pic.twitter.com/hiNlobz3Ef
— News18 (@CNNnews18) May 12, 2017
You can't be arrogant: Delhi HC tells Young Indian & Congress leaders Sonia, Rahul as it paves way for I-T probe in #NationalHerald case
— Utkarsh Anand (@utkarsh_aanand) May 12, 2017
Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala backed the Gandhi and said that the Young Indian has just withdrawn the plea itself and the decision is not a setback for the party. He instead blamed the BJP saying, “The malicious witch hunting by the BJP will not stop us from raising the voice of the people.”
Reacting to the Delhi HC’s verdict, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nalin Kohli said: “It is a blow to the Gandhis. They may approach the Supreme Court, but they still need to answer questions.”
There are accusations against the Gandhis for conspiring to “cheat and misappropriate funds” by paying a meagre sum of Rs 50 lakh for Income Tax through which Young Indian Pvt. Ltd got the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore which Associate Journals Ltd (AJL) owed to the Congress.
