Delhi Court partly allows Rahul Gandhi’s ordinary passport application, grants 3-year NOC

On Friday, the Rouse Avenue Court, Delhi partly allowed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s application by granting him a no objection certificate (NOC) for the issuance of an ordinary passport valid for 3 years.

Rahul Gandhi surrendered his diplomatic passport after he was disqualified as an MP after the conviction order in the Modi surname criminal defamation case in a Surat Court in March this year.

Gandhi had sought a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the issuance of an ordinary passport before the Court.

The Congress leader is an accused in the National Herald Case of which BJP leader Subramanian Swamy is the complainant.

Swamy opposed Gandhi’s plea syaing that if the leader will be allowed to travel abroad, it may affect the ongoing investigation in the National Herald case.

Swamy said before the court that the passport shall be allowed for a year and be renewed every year.

The court observed that the National Herald matter is ongoing since 2018 and has been making foreign visit. It added that there is no concern of him fleeing away or absconding and it is fundamental right to travel.

Swamy also stated that Rahul Gandhi’s citizenship was under question as he held a British citizenship, to which, Gandhi’s counsel Tarannum Cheema opposed saying two petitions demanding criminal proceedings on the citizenship matter had earlier been dismissed by the higher courts.

The Congress leader is expected to fly to the US next week, On June 4 he would be addressing a public rally at Madison Square Garden, New York, it would be Gandhi’s first public rally in USA.

Gandhi is also expected to deliver a talk at the Stanford University.

The National Herald matter is case based on a private criminal complaint by Subramaniam Swamy against former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and others, alleging them for cheating, conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.