National Herald case: Vora moves court seeking to restrain Subramanian Swamy

Senior Congress leader Motilal Vora today approached a Delhi court seeking to restrain BJP leader Subramanian Swamy from sharing information about the National Herald case on social media.

In an application moved before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal, Vora said he has "time and again noticed that the complainant (Swamy) has been putting up various posts on social media regarding the daily proceedings of the instant case for the purpose of causing defamation of the accused and vilification of the court process”.

He submitted, “The complainant has been indulging in loud and persistent publicity amounting to an interference with the administration of justice."

The application, moved through advocate Tarannum Cheema, said, "Before and after every date of hearing he (Swamy) unleashes hostile publicity through tweets, posts on social media or statements to the media.” Meanwhile, the court recorded a part of Swamy's statement as the complainant and posted the matter for further hearing on August 25 when it will record the remaining part of his testimony.

The BJP leader, in a private criminal complaint, has accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by paying just Rs 50 lakh, through which Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YI) obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that Associate Journals Ltd owed to the Congress.

All the seven accused -- the Gandhis, Motilal Vora (AICC treasurer), Oscar Fernandes (AICC general secretary), Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda and YI -- have denied the allegations levelled against them in the case.

The court had summoned the accused persons, besides YI, on June 26, 2014.

On December 19, 2015, it had granted bail to Sonia Gandhi, 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.

Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Vora, Fernandes, Dubey and Pitroda had been summoned for the alleged offences of misappropriation of property, criminal breach of trust and cheating, read with criminal conspiracy of the Indian Penal Code.