Rajesh Kunte, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh activist who filed a defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, has sent him ₹1,500 by money order in compliance with the Bhiwandi court’s orders, Kunte’s lawyer Ganesh Dhargalkar said on Friday.
He said the money was delivered to Rahul Gandhi’s office in Delhi on Thursday.
Judicial magistrate Dr JV Paliwal imposed a ₹1,000 fine on Kunte on April 21 after he requested that the court put off the hearing. This was the second time in two months that Kunte, who filed the defamation case against Rahul Gandhi, sought an adjournment. In March also, the magistrate ordered him to pay ₹500 to the Congress leader for seeking an adjournment.
Kunte, a third-generation RSS activist in Bhiwandi town 50km from Mumbai, filed a criminal defamation case against Rahul Gandhi for his March 2014 speech in support of Kunbi Sena chief Vishwanath Patil fielded by the party from the Bhiwandi seat . In his complaint filed soon after, Kunte told the court that Rahul Gandhi blamed the RSS for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
Gandhi initially moved Bombay high court, and later the Supreme Court to request that the case be quashed, but later decided to fight it out. The magistrate formally charged Rahul Gandhi under sections 499 (defamation) and 500 (punishment for defamation) of the Indian Penal Code in June 2018; Gandhi pleaded not guilty. If convicted, defamation is punishable by a maximum jail term of two years and a fine.
{{/usCountry}}Gandhi initially moved Bombay high court, and later the Supreme Court to request that the case be quashed, but later decided to fight it out. The magistrate formally charged Rahul Gandhi under sections 499 (defamation) and 500 (punishment for defamation) of the Indian Penal Code in June 2018; Gandhi pleaded not guilty. If convicted, defamation is punishable by a maximum jail term of two years and a fine.
{{/usCountry}}Narayan Iyer, who is appearing for Rahul Gandhi in the trial court, said the April 21 request was “the second consecutive time where the complainant has requested adjournment”.
The complainant hadn’t paid the ₹500 fine imposed the last time he sought an adjournment and had to pay both.
“I got a call from Rahul Gandhi’s office from Delhi confirming they received a ₹1,500 money order from the complainant Rajesh Kunte. We hope the case will proceed on a daily basis as per the court order. The Bhiwandi court has asked the complainant to produce evidence and witnesses on the next date of hearing on May 10,” Iyer said.