Court defers Swamy's cross-examination in National Herald case to March 30

A Delhi court Saturday deferred the cross-examination of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in the National Herald case, filed by him against Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, his mother Sonia Gandhi and others, to March 30.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal deferred the matter as Swamy was unavailable.

The BJP leader was cross-examined by Gandhi's lawyers on February 4. They had asked him a total of 18 questions, after which the matter was posted for further hearing on Saturday as Swamy said he had to join Parliament proceedings.

Swamy, in a private criminal complaint, had 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 Associate Journals Limited owed to the Congress.

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

Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Vora, Fernandes, Dubey and Pitroda are accused of misappropriation of property, criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy.