A Lucknow court granted bail to Rahul Gandhi in a 2018 defamation and sedition case over remarks about the Indian Army. The case was filed by advocate Nripendra Pandey for allegedly lowering the Army’s image.
Lucknow: Today, on July 15, the bail was granted by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Alok Verma. The court allowed bail on the condition that Rahul Gandhi submit a personal bond of ₹20,000, along with two sureties of the same amount. The court has listed the matter for its next hearing on August 13.
Rahul Gandhi appeared in person before the trial court after the Allahabad High Court had earlier rejected his plea challenging the summons issued against him.
The defamation case was filed by lawyer Vivek Tiwari on behalf of Uday Shankar Srivastava, a retired officer who served as a director in the Border Roads Organisation and held a rank equal to that of an Army Colonel. The complaint alleges that Rahul Gandhi made derogatory remarks that hurt the reputation of the Indian armed forces.
According to the complaint, Gandhi made a statement on December 16, 2022, where he said,
“Chinese soldiers are beating up Indian Army personnel in Arunachal Pradesh”.
This remark was made by Gandhi as a form of criticism against the government, accusing it of not handling the situation properly at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), where India has been facing tensions with China.
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There have been several such legal cases filed against Rahul Gandhi by political rivals and other individuals across various courts in the country. These cases mostly stem from his public statements targeting prominent political figures and institutions.
In another instance, the Supreme Court of India had earlier stayed criminal defamation proceedings against Gandhi in a separate case.
This case involved his comment where he allegedly called Union Home Minister and former BJP President Amit Shah a “murder accused.”
The case was based on a complaint filed by BJP leader Navin Jha, who claimed that Gandhi, during a public speech on March 18, 2018, made accusations against Shah and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Furthermore, Rahul Gandhi also faced criticism from the Supreme Court recently for his statement about Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
Gandhi had said that
“Savarkar was a collaborator with the British who received pension from the British”
— a remark that sparked controversy and drew strong reactions from many political quarters.
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The court proceedings began when Rahul Gandhi appeared before the Lucknow court in response to a summons issued earlier this year. After listening to both sides — the complainant’s arguments and the defence presented by Gandhi’s legal team — the court decided to grant him bail.
The judge ordered his release on the condition that he furnish personal and surety bonds, as required under the law.
The core of the case revolves around Gandhi’s alleged remarks, where he reportedly said the government was using the military for political benefits. These comments were interpreted by the complainant as defamatory and seditious.
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The petition by advocate Nripendra Pandey states that Gandhi’s remarks were aimed at
“lowering the esteem of the armed forces in the eyes of the public”
and that such statements should not be taken lightly.
Representing Rahul Gandhi in the present defamation case were advocates Pranshu Agrawal, Mohd Yasir Abbasi, and Mohammed Samar Ansari.
Background of the Case
The case goes back to a speech given by Rahul Gandhi on May 8, 2018, during a public rally in Bengaluru, Karnataka. In that speech, he allegedly made statements that were critical of the Indian Army and accused the Union Government of using the military for political purposes.
A complaint was later filed by Lucknow-based advocate Nripendra Pandey. He claimed that Gandhi’s comments were “intended to lower the esteem of the armed forces in the eyes of the public” and amounted to defamation and sedition.
According to Pandey, such remarks were not only disrespectful towards the Army but also harmful to the nation’s unity and morale.
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