Delhi court allows Swamy to file reply opposing Rahul Gandhi’s plea for passport

The court noted that the right to travel is a fundamental right and no restriction had been imposed on Rahul Gandhi while he was granted bail from the trial court in 2015

A Delhi court on Wednesday allowed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy to file a reply opposing Rahul Gandhi’s application seeking permission for issuance of a fresh ordinary passport.

Subramanian Swamy. (File)

Swamy argued that the cases against Rhaul Gandhi are pending before the court and allowing him to travel would hamper the ongoing probe in the National Herald case. However, advocate Tarannum Cheema appearing for Gandhi submitted that no travel restrictions have been imposed on him by the court.

Additional chief metropolitan magistrate Vaibhav Mehta noted that the right to travel is a fundamental right and no restriction had been imposed on Rahul Gandhi while he was granted bail from the trial court in 2015.

The court allowed Swamy to file a written reply and listed the matter for further hearing on May 26.

Gandhi had moved the application seeking permission and no objection for issuance of a new ordinary passport on Tuesday, ahead of his United States visit.

Gandhi had approached the court seeking no objection as he is an accused in the National Herald case filed by Swamy in 2012.

Gandhi was granted bail in the case along with his mother Sonia Gandhi and other accused persons by an order passed on December 19, 2015.

Swamy had filed the case in 2012, against Rahul and Sonia Gandhi along with other associates alleging them of fraud, land grabbing and misappropriation of funds to acquire ownership of the National Herald newspaper.