National Herald case: Hours before Gandhis arrive, Patiala Court turns into a fortress

Almost twenty matters that where listed to be heard on Saturday have been deferred and have been given different dates.

Written by Kaunain Sheriff M

New Delhi | Updated: December 19, 2015 01:44 PM IST

2 min read

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Policemen arrive before the start of National Herald case in which Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her son, Rahul Gandhi and four others were to appear at Patiala House court in New Delhi on Tuesday. (PTI Photo)

With the less than two hours to go for Congress President Sonia Gandhi and it’s Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s appearance before the Delhi court at the Patiala House Courts – the court premises has been turned into a fortress.

Gate number two, from where the Gandhis are expected to arrive, has been restricted for the general public. Guarding this gate, are over a hundred rapid action force (RAF) security personnel and the bomb detection squad.

While outside the court number seven, where the hearing is scheduled to place – the courtroom and five hundred metres around its vicinity have been taken over by the elite Special Protection Group (SPG), that protects the Gandhis. Outside the courtroom, two new CCTV cameras have also been installed to further enhance the security arrangements. At twelve noon, more than thirty SPG officials along with Delhi police were also given the briefing from the senior officials at the park, adjacent to the court.

Meanwhile, the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen has a deserted look. Almost twenty matters that were listed to be heard on Saturday have been deferred and have been given different dates.

By two in the afternoon, only litigants and their counsels would be allowed to enter through the seven entry points, security officials added.

Kaunain Sheriff M

Kaunain Sheriff M is an award-winning investigative journalist and the National Health Editor at The Indian Express. He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, an investigation into one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical companies. With over a decade of experience, Kaunain brings deep expertise in three areas of investigative journalism: law, health, and data. He currently leads The Indian Express newsroom’s in-depth coverage of health. His work has earned some of the most prestigious honours in journalism, including the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Award, and the Mumbai Press Club’s Red Ink Award. Kaunain has also collaborated on major global investigations. He was part of the Implant Files project with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which exposed malpractices in the medical device industry across the world. He also contributed to an international investigation that uncovered how a Chinese big-data firm was monitoring thousands of prominent Indian individuals and institutions in real time. Over the years, he has reported on several high-profile criminal trials, including the Hashimpura massacre, the 2G spectrum scam, and the coal block allocation case. Within The Indian Express, he has been honoured three times with the Indian Express Excellence Award for his investigations—on the anti-Sikh riots, the Vyapam exam scam, and the abuse of the National Security Act in Uttar Pradesh. ... Read More

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