BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Tuesday opposed the pleas of Congress leaders in the Delhi High Court seeking to set aside trial court order allowing summoning of documents from Ministries of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Income Tax Department and other agencies in the National Herald case.
Swamy told Justice PS Teji that the petitions filed by AICC treasurer Motilal Vora and Young India ltd (YI) as they have no locus in the issue.
“This is a matter of law. The fact of matter is that there is no locus standi of petitioners. There are judgements on this regard,” he told the court.
The Bench, which on Tuesday formally issued a notice to Swamy, has now fixed the matter for arguments on April 4.
“It has been submitted by the petitioner that formal notice was not issued to respondent (Swamy) on the last date of hearing. let formal notice be issued,” the Bench said. Vora and YI have sought stay on operation of the trial court’s January 11 order.
The petitions filed through senior advocates RS Cheema and Rebecca John have said that the trial court has not heard them and the order passed on Swamy’s plea was ex-parte.
“Swamy has sought all documents but no specific period has been mentioned in his application before the trial court and still his plea was allowed,” Cheema had contended, adding that the January 11 trial court order must be quashed or set aside.
Swamy’s plea seeking summoning of documents from the Ministry of Urban Development, Delhi Development Authority and Registrar of Companies was allowed by the trial court.
Meanwhile in trial court Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi also challenged the Magistrate’s order for summoning documents from six government departments. In the previous hearing, Magistrate loveleen had ordered for keeping the documents received from Government departments in sealed cover.
Next hearing of the case is scheduled in trial court is on March 21. The Magistrate had already summoned annual accounts of Congress party and National Herald newspaper publishing company AJl during the period 2010-11.