Today, On 26th April, The Jharkhand High Court temporarily suspended Rahul Gandhi’s scheduled appearance in the Chaibasa court regarding a defamation suit. This decision follows legal proceedings related to allegations made against him. The case attracted attention due to its political significance in the region. Stay tuned for further updates on this ongoing legal development.
Jharkhand: In a significant legal development, the Jharkhand High Court granted a reprieve to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by staying the ongoing legal proceedings against him at the MP-MLA court in Chaibasa district. This court previously issued a non-bailable warrant against Gandhi on February 27. This judicial intervention came after Gandhi filed a petition challenging the warrant.
The legal troubles for Gandhi stem from accusations by Pratap Kumar, a resident of Chaibasa, who charged him with defamation related to comments made against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a 2019 election campaign. Kumar alleges that Gandhi’s statements not only defamatory but intentionally designed to Tarnish Shah‘s reputation. The proceedings have been ongoing in the special MP/MLA court, which initially issued a bailable warrant against Gandhi in April 2022.
Despite the court’s order, Rahul Gandhi did not present himself before the Chaibasa court, leading to the escalation to a non-bailable arrest warrant. Following the court’s rejection of a petition for exemption from appearance submitted on his behalf by his legal team. Gandhi escalated the matter to the Jharkhand High Court.
The high court set to revisit the case in two weeks.
In a related political development, the Congress party declared its list of star campaigners for the upcoming electoral battle in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled for May 13. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge highlighted as prominent figures among the 40 campaigners listed. The submission to the Election Commission made by Congress General Secretary Mukul Wasnik and included other notable names such as AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.
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The inclusion of key Telangana leaders and the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President YS Sharmila highlights the party’s concerted efforts to strengthen its position in Andhra Pradesh a region where Congress struggled to establish a strong foothold, since the division of the former united Andhra Pradesh in 2014 under the UPA-II government.
The court’s decision to suspend Gandhi’s court appearance provides temporary relief for the Congress leader, allowing him to focus on the upcoming elections in Andhra Pradesh, where he is listed as a star campaigner. The Congress party actively campaigning in the region, aiming to rejuvenate its presence following significant regional political shifts since the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014. The outcome of the high court’s future hearings will be crucial in determining the progression of this high-profile defamation case.