(Image source from: National Herald case: Is Sonia Gandhi a victim of 'political vindictiveness'})

Congress President Sonia Gandhi has termed the National Herald case as a 'witch hunt'. Refering to the Income Tax notice by a Delhi court, Ms Gandhicalled the case 'political vindictiveness' on Wednesday .

The Congress president said the 'witch-hunt' would help the party to return back to power at the centre.

According to the notice, Sonia Gandhi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi have to be present at a Delhi court for the hearing of the National Herald case on August 7.

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had filed a case alleging the Congress of providing unsecured loan to Young Indian Ltd (owned by Sonia), to acquire Associated Journals, which is a holding company of National Herald.

Sonia has been summoned as accused in the case after the court found prima facie evidence against the Congress chief.

Swamy claims that there has been misappropriation of assets of the National Herald newspaper that is valued at Rs 2000 crore.

In the case filed by Swamy, the BJP leader accused Sonia and Rahul Gandhi along with others of misappropriating funds and conspiracy to cheat by paying only Rs 50 lakh. The move allowed Young India the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that the Associated Journals owes to the Congress.

At present assets valued over Rs 2,000 crore also got transferred to Young India, of which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have a shareholding of 76 % and remaining 24 % shareholding lies with the other accused.

Metropolitan Magistrate Gomati Manocha in his notice said that a prima facie case has been established by the complainant under section 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property, 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) read with section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC. Hence the accused Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Moti Lal Vohra, Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda need to be summoned for August 7, 2014, added Manocha.

Reacting to the court summon to its party chief, the Congress has stated that it will move High Court against the IT notice.

(AW: Pratima Tigga)