National Herald case: Sonia & Rahul Gandhi have to appear before trial court

Delhi HC refused to quash lower court's summons to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.

New Delhi:

Delhi High Court has dismissed the plea of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, which challenged the summons issued by a trial court in the National Herald case. With the court refusing to quash the lower court's summons, the two leaders will have to appear in the trial court.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi and had moved the Delhi High Court in October, objecting to a -"differential treatment-" being accorded to a challenge filed by them in the case.

In an application filed in the High Court, the Gandhis had said that their petition challenging a trial court order in the case had been part heard by Justice S Gaur and had been placed before another judge Justice P S Teji in violation of the procedures and practise being followed by the court.

The application filed before the bench headed by the Chief Justice said that their challenge petition ought to have been listed before the bench of Justice Gaur before whom the matter was pending for over eight months and was heard by him at length on several occasions.

The trial court had on June 26 summoned Sonia, Rahul, Vora, Fernandes, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda to appear before it on August 7.