Rahul Gandhi gets relief as Sultanpur court dismisses 2018 defamation case

A Special MP/MLA Court in Uttar Pradesh's Sultanpur on Monday dismissed a 2018 criminal defamation case against Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over alleged objectionable remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was the BJP's national president at the time.

Gandhi appeared before the court for the pronouncement of the verdict in the case.

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The complaint was filed on August 4, 2018, by Vijay Mishra, then BJP's district vice-president, over remarks Gandhi allegedly made during the Karnataka Assembly election campaign in Bengaluru.

How the case unfolded

Mishra alleged that Gandhi had referred to Shah as a "murderer" during a conference. He said he approached the court after learning about the remarks through television news channels and social media, adding that the comments had hurt him as a party worker.

The MP/MLA court summoned Gandhi to face trial on November 27, 2023. The Congress leader subsequently appeared before the court and secured bail.

During the proceedings, Mishra sought a comparison of Gandhi's voice sample. The trial court rejected the application, following which the sessions court dismissed his revision petition challenging the order. The Allahabad High Court also rejected his petition against the decisions of the two lower courts.

Additional Civil Judge Shubham Verma had initially fixed October 13 for the pronouncement of the verdict. The court later scheduled the decision for October 26.

What is the defamation case about?

The case stems from Gandhi's alleged remarks against Shah during the 2018 Karnataka election campaign. At the time, Shah was serving as the BJP's national president.

Mishra, a former chairman of the district cooperative bank, initiated the complaint, alleging that Gandhi's remarks were objectionable and defamatory. He pursued the matter through legal proceedings over the following years.

Santosh Kumar Pandey, counsel for Mishra, had earlier said Gandhi could face a maximum sentence of two years if sufficient evidence was found against him.

The court's dismissal of the complaint marks the outcome of the trial proceedings. The grounds for dismissal and any further legal steps would depend on the court's order.