NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the eviction order against Associated Journals (National Herald) now owned by Young India .

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi also issued notice to the Centre's Land and Development Office (L&DO) on the plea of AJL , publisher of the National Herald .

Congress president Rahul Gandhi , his mother Sonia Gandhi and Oscar Fernandes are majority shareholders of Young India, which acquired AJL's 90 crore loan liability to All India Congress Committee on a mere payment of Rs 50 Lakhs.

In February, Delhi high court had upheld the eviction order saying there was a change of lease condition.

AJL has appealed against the single judge's December 21, 2018, order that directed it to vacate the premises at ITO within two weeks, after which eviction proceedings under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971, would be initiated.

The single judge had also said that by transfer of AJL's 99 per cent shares to YI, the beneficial interest of AJL's property worth Rs 413.40 crore stands "clandestinely" transferred to YI.

In its order, the single judge had said that AJL has been "hijacked" by YI, in which the Gandhis are shareholders.

The Centre had contended before the court that transfer of 99 per cent stake in AJL to YI, which bought over the Rs 90 crore debt for a consideration of Rs 50 lakh, led to a "virtual" sale of the Herald building at ITO.

The December order had come on AJL's plea challenging the Centre's order to vacate the building. The Centre had ended its 56-year-old lease and asked AJL to vacate the premises, saying no printing or publishing activity was going on and the building was being used only for commercial purposes.

(With inputs from agencies)



In Video: Relief for the Gandhis as SC stays AJL eviction order