Nation Herald Case: Delhi court abates criminal proceedings against Motilal Vora

A Delhi Court has abated criminal proceedings against Congress leader Motilal Vora in the National Herald case in view of his demise in December last year.

The court was hearing a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy against Vora, Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi and others.

The court passed the order after advocate Tarannum Cheema, appearing for the accused, filed the original hard copy of the application for placing on record the death certificate of Vora, and as a consequence prayed for abatement of proceedings qua him.

The court issued notice to the SHO concerned to file death verification report of Vora, who submitted that the veteran Congress leader died on December 21, 2020.

“In view of the aforesaid and report filed, proceedings in the present case qua the accused Motil Lal Vora stands abated,” Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sachin Gupta said in an order passed on January 28.

The case will continue against other accused people.

Read | National Herald case: Swamy delaying proceedings, Gandhis tells court

The court will further hear the matter on February 11.

The case is scheduled for the cross-examination of the complainant, Swamy, as a part of pre-charge evidence.

Swamy, 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 the Young Indian (YI) Private Limited obtained the right to recover the Rs 90.25 crore the Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of National Herald newspaper, owed to the Congress.

All the seven accused in the case -- Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, senior Congress leaders Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda, Vora, and the YI -- had denied the allegations levelled against them.

The Gandhis, Vora, Fernandes, Dubey and Pitroda were accused of misappropriation of property, criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy.