Rahul Gandhi skips court appearance in defamation case; next hearing on Feb 20

India Jan 19, 2026

Rahul Gandhi did not appear before the MP-MLA court in Sultanpur on Monday, Jan 19, 2026, where he faces a defamation case filed by local BJP functionary Vijay Mishra back in 2018.
Gandhi's counsel told the judge he was in Kerala.
The court has now given Gandhi one final chance to show up, moving the next hearing to February 20, 2026.

Why does it matter?

This all started with Gandhi's comments during the 2018 Karnataka elections, where he made objectionable remarks about then BJP president Amit Shah.
He's called the case a political conspiracy and the defense recently cross-examined a witness.
Next up: he'll need to answer questions directly in court under Section 313 of the CrPC.