Rahul Gandhi slapped with criminal-defamation suit by MP CM's son
What's the story
Kartikey Chouhan, son of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, filed a criminal defamation suit today against Rahul Gandhi in a Bhopal court. He accused the Congress President of intentionally making false allegations about his name being in the 'Panama Papers' of alleged tax evaders. The court has posted the matter for November 3 when Kartikey's statement will be recorded. Here's more.
Background
Kartikey warned of legal action if Rahul Gandhi didn't apologize
Addressing a rally in MP's Jhabua on Monday, Gandhi had alleged that name of the son of 'mamaji' (Shivraj Singh Chouhan) had figured in the Panama Papers but no action was taken against him. Gandhi didn't specifically name the CM. Hours after Gandhi's allegations, Kartikey had rejected the allegations and warned of strict legal action if the Congress leader didn't apologize within 48 hours.
Allegation
Kartikey Chouhan said Rahul Gandhi intentionally defamed him
In the suit filed in the Special Court of Additional District Judge (ADJ) Suresh Singh, Kartikey Chouhan has alleged that Gandhi intentionally gave the statement to defame him. The criminal defamation case was filed under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Under these sections, a person guilty of criminal defamation can be sent to jail for two years.
Data
A brief about the Panama Papers scandal
The Panama Papers refer to 11.5 million leaked documents published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists in 2016 with details of offshore entities set up by a Panama-based legal firm. The list included several Indian individuals and entities, many of whom are facing investigation.