The Supreme Court will hear on December 4 an appeal filed by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, his mother Sonia Gandhi and party veteran Oscar Fernandez challenging Delhi High Court’s order asking them to appear before tax authorities in The National Herald case.

The tax officials want to reopen their assessments for 2011-12, which relate to the case.

A bench of Justices A.K. Sikri and S.A. Nazeer fixed the matter for hearing on December 4 after solicitor-general Tushar Mehta said no notice was necessary as the income tax department was willing to argue the case.

Justice Sikri, heading the bench, listed two options: let notices be issued and the matter come up in normal course, pending which the income tax department can continue the assessment but cannot declare the final results.

The second option was the court would hear the matter earlier and decide it finally. Mehta said the department was willing to argue the matter on December 4 itself.