Rahul Gandhi skips court hearing in army defamation case again
What's the story
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi skipped a Lucknow court hearing on Monday in connection with a criminal case for allegedly insulting the Indian Army. This is the fifth time he has skipped the proceedings. The complaint alleges that during Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi stated that "no one questions the beating of Indian soldiers by Chinese soldiers." This statement, according to complainant Uday Shankar Srivastava, was derogatory toward the army and hurt the sentiments of armed forces.
Legal proceedings
Gandhi moved to quash complaint, summons
After preliminary proceedings in the case, a trial court had issued a summons on February 11, 2025, asking Gandhi to appear. However, he moved the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court to quash both the complaint and summons. On May 29, 2025, the high court dismissed his plea saying that both were legally valid and justified.
Ongoing case
Case has drawn considerable attention
Despite the high court's order, Gandhi has skipped hearings. Gandhi's lawyer, Pranshu Agarwal, argued that the allegations in the complaint appeared fabricated. He also argued that because Gandhi is not a Lucknow resident, the lower court should have investigated the allegations and summoned him only if they were prima facie fit for trial.