Rahul Gandhi defamation case highlights: Guj HC rejects plea; 'arrogant regime' says Priyanka

“Rahul Gandhi's comment is a comment on the entire society...The court has punished him...The court has not accepted his application, meaning the law is the same for everyone. If you commit a crime, you are bound to serve the punishment...He has committed another crime which is of not apologising...This doesn't seem right, nobody is above the law…”: BJP leader and MP from Bhopal, Sadhavi Pragya Singh Thakur.

"We want to ask the Congress why they aren't controlling Rahul Gandhi and training him to speak properly. It has become a chronic habit of Rahul Gandhi to abuse and defame," says BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Gujarat HC rejecting Rahul Gandhi's plea seeking stay on conviction over his Modi surname remark, PTI reported.

BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla says, "Congress party and Rahul Gandhi received a shock once again today. After Sessions Court, Gujarat High Court also showed them a mirror. They insult the OBC community and then instead of apologising, they act out of arrogance...Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the OBC community but instead of that, either his party workers threaten the judge or Congress party questions the judiciary...., ANI reported.

Gujarat high court's Justice Hemant Prachchhak affirmed the decision of a Gujarat sessions court, which had refused to put on hold a magisterial court order on March 23 convicting Rahul Gandhi and handing out the maximum punishment provided for criminal defamation under the Indian Penal Code.

Reading out the operative part of the order, the judge noted that there are at least eight other criminal cases pending against Gandhi.

‘Even after the present case, some more cases filed against him. One such is filed by the grandson of Veer Savarkar. In any way, the conviction would not result in any injustice,” said the high court, requesting the sessions court to decide Gandhi’s appeal on merits as early as possible. Here's our full report

Massive setback to Rahul Gandhi in Modi surname case by Guj HC: A timeline Read here

Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil says, "Rahul Gandhi spoke against Lalit Modi-Nirav Modi who looted the country and fled. He said this in Karnataka. Surat Court had no jurisdiction. The procedure was not followed. There is nothing concrete in Rahul Gandhi's case...We are absolutely sure that we will get justice...," reports ANI.

Surat magisterial court had in March convicted Rahul Gandhi for his remarks ahead of the 2019 national polls about the ‘Modi’ surname. He had at that time allegedly said: “How come all thieves have Modi surname in common”. Gandhi was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment which disqualified him as an MP under the rigours of the Representation of People Act. Gandhi was declared disqualified as MP from Kerala’s Wayanad on March 24 following notification of the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

"We have noted the verdict of the single-judge bench of the Gujarat High Court on the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi. The reasoning of the Hon'ble judge is being studied, as it should be, and Dr. Abhishek Singhvi will be briefing the media in detail at 3pm. The judgement only redoubles our resolve to pursue the matter further, " said Jairam Ramesh, General Secretary in-charge Communications, Congress.

Rahul Gandhi will not be able to contest elections or seek revocation of the suspension of his status as a Member of Parliament (MP). He can appeal the High Court order in Supreme Court.

'Even after the present case, some more cases filed against him. One such is filed by the grandson of Veer Savarkar. In any way, the conviction would not result in any injustice," said the high court, requesting the sessions court to decide Gandhi's appeal on merits as early as possible.

Gujarat HC notes that there are at least 8 other criminal defamation complaints pending against Gandhi and that the sessions court order doesn't warrant any interference.

Massive setback to Rahul Gandhi, as the Gujarat high court refuses to stay his conviction and two-year jail term in a criminal defamation case, costing him his Parliament membership.

Justice Hemant Prachchhak, who refused to give a stay in last hearing, is expected to deliver the verdict at 11 am.

After Purnesh Modi's case in Surat in which Rahul Gandhi was convicted, several other defamation cases were filed against Rahul Gandhi. One such was filed by Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi. The Patna high court on July 4 stayed the proceedings of the criminal defamation case until January 12, 2023.

The Jharkhand high court on July 4 passed an order in connection with another defamation case filed by advocate Pradeep Modi and said no coercive action should be taken against Rahul Gandhi until the next hearing on August 16.

In May, the Gujarat high court refused to grant any interim relief to Rahul Gandhi and said the final order will be passed after the summer vacation.

On April 25, Rahul Gandhi appealed to the high court challenging the Surat sessions court order.

Rahul Gandhi approached the Surat sessions court for a stay on the conviction. On April 20, the sessions court rejected Rahul Gandhi's plea and said Rahul Gandhi, being the MP and the former chief of the country's second-largest political party, should have been more careful.

On March 24, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha as a convicted politician can not remain a parliamentarian.

On March 23, 2023, Rahul Gandhi was convicted by a district court in Surat in the Modi surname case. Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to two years in jail.

In May, Justice Prachchhak, while hearing Gandhi's plea, had refused to grant any interim relief saying it will pass a final order after the summer vacation, which ended three weeks back.