Rahul Gandhi appears in Sultanpur court over defamation case
What's the story
Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, appeared before the MP MLA court in Sultanpur on Friday. The hearing was part of a 2018 criminal defamation case related to his remarks about Union Home Minister Amit Shah made during an election campaign in Karnataka. The next hearing for the case has been scheduled for March 2, according to The Times of India.
Case origin
Case dates back to 2018 Karnataka Assembly election campaign
The case dates back to the 2018 Karnataka Assembly election campaign when Gandhi allegedly made remarks against Shah at a rally in Bengaluru. The complaint was filed on August 4, 2018, by Vijay Mishra, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Sultanpur. Mishra alleged that Gandhi's comments were objectionable and defamatory toward Shah, who was then serving as the BJP national president.
Remarks controversy
Gandhi allegedly accused BJP of being led by murder accused
Gandhi had allegedly accused the BJP of being led by a "party president who is an accused in a murder case," referring to Shah and the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case. However, a special CBI court in Mumbai had discharged Shah from the case in 2014 when he was Gujarat's home minister. The complainant argued that Gandhi's statement was defamatory and damaged Shah's reputation.
Legal developments
Gandhi was granted bail after surrendering
The Sultanpur MP MLA court took cognizance of the complaint and issued a warrant against Gandhi in December last year after he failed to appear. On February 20, 2024, he surrendered before the court and was granted bail on furnishing two sureties of ₹25,000 each. The court then fixed March 2 for the next hearing. In July 2024, Gandhi recorded his first statement before the court, denying allegations and terming them politically motivated.
Legal compliance
Court directed Gandhi to appear for examination under Section 313
After cross-examining the complainant and witnesses, the court directed Gandhi to appear personally for examination under Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in January 2026. This provision allows an accused to explain evidence against them. His appearance on Friday complied with this directive. The case is one of several defamation cases filed against Gandhi over remarks made during political campaigns.