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Hathras gang rape, murder case : Acquitted accused files defamation suit against Rahul Gandhi
On March 2, 2023, a trial court in Hathras had acquitted three of the four accused in connection with the gang rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in September 2020.
HT Correspondent
An accused acquitted in the Hathras gang rape and murder case of 2020 on Friday filed a criminal defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the MP/MLA court of Hathras, which fixed February 10 for the next hearing.
“This is a criminal complaint case filed under Section 356(2) (defamation) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita before the additional chief judicial magistrate (MP/MLA) court in Hathras by petitioner Ram Kumar aka Ramu against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The court has fixed February 10 as next date in the case,” said Munna Singh Pundhir, the counsel for the petitioner.
On March 2, 2023, a trial court in Hathras had acquitted three of the four accused in connection with the gang rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in September 2020.
The special judge, SC/ST Court, Hathras, had sentenced another accused, Sandeep Sisodia, to life imprisonment. An appeal has been filed in regard to the Hathras case in the Allahabad high court. While the CBI has challenged the acquittal of three accused, the convicted accusd has challenged the life imprisonment awarded to him. Rahul Gandhi paid a surprise visit to the Hathras village on December 12, 2024 and met the family members of the 19-year-old Dalit woman who was allegedly gang raped and died later during treatment in Delhi. He interacted with her kin and later posted a comment on X, targeting the accused in case.
Following this, the counsel of one of the acquitted accused said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had made derogatory statement against his client for “political gains” and served a legal notice in December 2024 on the leader of Opposition, asking him to pay ₹50 lakh compensation.
“The petitioner, one of the accused, was acquitted by the court as the allegations of gang rape and murder were not proved in court. But Rahul Gandhi, for political gains, wrote on X that confinement of the victim’s family in their home and free movement of the accused is against the basic principle of the Constitution,” the petitioner alleged in the defamation suit.
“Rahul Gandhi is a responsible MP and holds position as the leader of opposition. But he made the comment on social media even after the verdict holding petitioner not guilty. The statement has cast a stigma on the character of the petitioner,” states the petition.
The petitioner has contended that this is an offence punishable under Section 356(2) of the BNS 2023, and as such the accused Rahul Gandhi be punished for contempt and ordered to pay ₹50 lakh as compensation.
