Court fines Rahul ₹200 for non-appearance in Savarkar defamation case
What's the story
A Lucknow court has slapped a fine of ₹200 on Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for skipping a defamation case. The case pertains to alleged derogatory remarks made by Gandhi against Vinayak Damodar Savarkar during his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Akola, Maharashtra, in November 2022. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Alok Verma imposed the fine while allowing Gandhi's plea seeking exemption from appearance in court.
Case revival
Defamation case against Gandhi revived by Sessions Court
The defamation case was filed by Advocate Nripendra Pandey. He had accused Gandhi of spreading hatred and insulting Savarkar by calling him a "servant of the British" and saying he received a pension from them. Pandey's complaint was initially dismissed but was revived later after a revision petition was accepted by the Sessions Court. The case was then transferred to the ACJM Court.
Absence explained
Gandhi's legal team cites official engagements for his absence
Gandhi's legal team mentioned his official engagements, including meetings with foreign dignitaries, as reasons for his absence from the court proceedings. The next hearing in this case is due on April 14. In related proceedings, Gandhi has approached a Pune court to convert a 'summary trial' into a 'summons trial' over similar remarks about Savarkar made during a speech in London in March 2023.
Trial request
Gandhi seeks trial conversion, claims remarks were historically accurate
Gandhi's plea to change the trial type rests on his assertion that his comments on Savarkar were based on historical facts. Earlier, a Pune court had granted Gandhi permanent exemption from appearance in another defamation case over comments on Savarkar. The decision was taken keeping in mind his high-level security requirements and his position as Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha.