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Refusing to quash the criminal proceedings against Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice president Rahul Gandhi in the politically sensitive National Herald case, the Supreme Court on Friday gave them some respite by granting exemption from personal appearance in the trial court.
The mother-son duo was directed to appear in the trial court on February 20. The relief, however, came only after the SC bench took a dig at the mother-son duo for their show of strength and support on December 19, 2015 when they marched to the Patiala House courtroom accosted by top party leaders and hundreds of workers paralysing the flow of traffic around the court complex, causing inconvenience to other litigants. They also marched out within five minutes after securing bail on that day.
When petitioner and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy objected to the plea by senior lawyer Kapil Sibal for granting exemption from appearance to Sonia and Rahul, Justice J S Khehar, in an apparent reference to the party's show of strength in the court complex observed: "There is going to be more chaos when they go to court than they not going to court." Swamy then told the court, "I had gone alone only." Even in the dictated order, the bench noted that the exemption can be given as not granting it would result in "more inconvenience than convenience".
Refusing the plea for quashing proceedings, the bench asked Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi to raise all their objections and contentions in the trial court before framing of charges.
Sonia, Rahul exempted from personal appearance in National Herald case : Mail Today, News - India Today
The mother-son duo was directed to appear in the trial court on February 20. The relief, however, came only after the SC bench took a dig at the mother-son duo for their show of strength and support on December 19, 2015 when they marched to the Patiala House courtroom accosted by top party leaders and hundreds of workers paralysing the flow of traffic around the court complex, causing inconvenience to other litigants. They also marched out within five minutes after securing bail on that day.
When petitioner and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy objected to the plea by senior lawyer Kapil Sibal for granting exemption from appearance to Sonia and Rahul, Justice J S Khehar, in an apparent reference to the party's show of strength in the court complex observed: "There is going to be more chaos when they go to court than they not going to court." Swamy then told the court, "I had gone alone only." Even in the dictated order, the bench noted that the exemption can be given as not granting it would result in "more inconvenience than convenience".
Refusing the plea for quashing proceedings, the bench asked Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi to raise all their objections and contentions in the trial court before framing of charges.
Sonia, Rahul exempted from personal appearance in National Herald case : Mail Today, News - India Today
