Defamation case: Rahul Gandhi appears in UP court in defamation case over remarks on Amit Shah

Special magistrate Shubham Verma has summoned Rahul Gandhi to record his statement, warning of stern action if he fails to comply, as he has missed 12 hearings.

Updated on: Jul 26, 2024, 12:45:32 IST

By HT News Desk

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appeared before the MP-MLA court on Friday for a defamation case hearing.

Sultanpur: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on his way to appear at a district court in connection with a defamation case, in Sultanpur, Friday, July 26, 2024. (PTI Photo/Nand Kumar)

The court has scheduled the next hearing for August 12, when the petitioner’s statement will be recorded. Sources indicate that Gandhi is not required to appear in court on that date, PTI reported.

The case dates back to 2018, when BJP leader Vijay Mishra accused Rahul Gandhi of derogatory comments during a press conference in Bengaluru, in which the Congress MP referred to Amit Shah as an “accused” in a murder case.

Advocate Kashi Prasad Shukla, Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's lawyer says, "...Rahul Gandhi recorded his statement in the court and said that all the allegations are false and the complaint has been filed due to political malice…August 12 has been fixed as the next date of hearing and the complainant will have to produce evidence on that day which will be cross-examined by the court," ANI reported.

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Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was previously granted bail in this case on February 20, having interrupted his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ to attend the court proceedings.

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Special magistrate Shubham Verma had summon Rahul Gandhi to record his statement, warning of stern action if he fails to comply, as he missed 12 consecutive hearings. In the previous hearing, Rahul Gandhi's lawyer, Kashi Prasad Shukla, explained to the court that his absence on July 2 was due to his parliamentary duties as the Leader of Opposition.

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What is defamation case against Rahul Gandhi for remarks on Amit Shah?

The defamation complaint against Rahul Gandhi was filed on August 4, 2018, in response to remarks he made during a press conference in Bengaluru. Gandhi attacked the BJP and said that the party claimed to believe in honest and clean politics but has a party president who is an "accused" in a murder case, referring to Shah who was then the BJP chief.

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Vijay Mishra, a local BJP leader and district co-operative chairman, filed the case, accusing that Gandhi's comments were damaging to Amit Shah's reputation.

The defamation charges are under Indian Penal Code sections 499, which deals with spreading rumours to damage someone's reputation, and 500, which pertains to defamation.

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