Relief For Rahul Gandhi As Sultanpur Court Dismisses Defamation Case

A Special MP/MLA court in Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur dismissed the defamation complaint against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday over remarks he allegedly made against Amit Shah at a press conference in Bengaluru in May 2018.

Gandhi travelled from Delhi to Sultanpur to attend the pronouncement of the verdict.

CASE DATES BACK TO 2018

The complaint stemmed from remarks Gandhi allegedly made when Shah was the BJP’s national president. Gandhi was accused of making objectionable remarks by referring to Shah as an accused in a murder case.

Vijay Mishra, the complainant and then BJP district vice-president, filed the defamation complaint. Speaking to ANI ahead of the verdict on Monday, Mishra said he was hopeful of receiving justice after the prolonged legal battle.

“We are hopeful that we will receive justice, given the way they behaved toward our BJP’s national president at that time,” Mishra said, adding that the case had continued from 2018 to 2026.

The MP/MLA court had summoned Gandhi in connection with the complaint in December 2023.

COMPLAINT FILED BY FORMER BJP DISTRICT VICE-PRESIDENT

Advocate Kashi Prasad Shukla, representing Mishra, said the matter originated in May 2018, when Gandhi allegedly referred to Shah as an accused in a murder case during a press conference in Bengaluru.

Mishra, who was then chairman of the local District Cooperative Bank and a BJP vice-president in the district, filed a formal complaint over the remarks.

The court’s dismissal of the complaint ends the proceedings at the trial court level. Any further legal steps would depend on whether the complainant challenges the decision.

WHAT THE LAW PROVIDES

Before the verdict, advocate Pandey had said that a conviction under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with punishment for defamation, could carry imprisonment of up to two years, a fine, or both.

Section 437A of the Code of Criminal Procedure requires an accused to execute bail bonds with sureties to ensure their appearance before a higher court if an appeal is filed against the trial court’s decision.

With inputs from ANI