National Herald case: No relief for Rahul Gandhi

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday did not grant any relief to Congress president Rahul Gandhi in connection with the National Herald case. 

Rahul Gandhi had earlier challenged Income Tax authority's order to reopen his tax assessment related to the National Herald and Young India transactions.

In March, the Delhi High Court today directed Young Indian Pvt Ltd, in which Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi are major stakeholders, to deposit Rs 10 crore in the Rs 249.15 crore income tax proceedings against it.

The Income Tax department informed the High Court that the AICC gave Rs 99 crores to Associate Journal Ltd and added that Rahul willfully chose not to disclose that he held the director's post at Young India.

To which the court said that it'll determine whether he was under an obligation to disclose these details or not.

However, on the other hand, the Congress President's lawyer asserted that Rahul did not receive any income from the source, hence he is not liable for any tax.

Rahul's counsel also asked the Court to restrain media from publishing the matter, however, the High Court refused to stay media reporting.

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has produced an IT order in court against the Young Indian company majorly owned by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. The order has reportedly cancelled Young India's tax exemption certificate and asked the company to pay tax on income gain of Rs 414 crore. 

In their response to Swamy's complaint in connection with the National Herald case, Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi stated that the application filed by the BJP leader was not bonafide.

Calling the complaint a "lifeless case" they said that the application has been filled with the sole object of "delaying the proceedings".