Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday told the Supreme Court that the allegations against him that he wrongfully confined and raped a woman in his Amethi Lok Sabha constituency were an act of "sinister political mudslinging".
"It is a clear case of sinister political mudslinging against a promising young leader of the country," senior counsel PP Rao, appearing for Gandhi, told the apex court bench of Justice BS Chauhan and Justice Swatanter Kumar.
The court was hearing a petition by Kishore Smrite who made allegations, based on a website report, that on Dec 3, 2006, while on a tour of his constituency in Uttar Pradesh, Gandhi along with his six friends committed rape of a woman and detained her illegally.
The Allahabad high court earlier dismissed Smrite's petition, ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe against him and imposed a cost of Rs. 50 lakh.