A special MP/MLA court in Sultanpur has scheduled March 12 to hear further arguments in the 2018 defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The case was filed by a BJP leader over alleged remarks made by Gandhi about Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the Karnataka elections.
A special MP/MLA court in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday fixed March 12 for hearing further arguments in a 2018 criminal defamation case filed against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rae Bareli MP Rahul Gandhi over alleged remarks about Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The matter was listed before Special Judge Shubham Verma, who scheduled the next date after hearing submissions from the parties involved. According to Advocate Santosh Kumar Pandey, who represents the complainant, the court will continue arguments in the case on the next hearing date.
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The complaint was filed by BJP leader Vijay Mishra, who alleged that Rahul Gandhi made defamatory statements against Amit Shah during the Karnataka Assembly elections in 2018. Mishra claimed that Gandhi used remarks that damaged the reputation of the Union Home Minister, which led to the filing of the criminal defamation complaint.
During earlier proceedings on February 20, Rahul Gandhi recorded his statement before the court under Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). This stage of the trial allows the accused to explain the circumstances appearing against them in the evidence presented during the trial. While recording his statement, Gandhi denied all allegations made against him and maintained that the complaint was politically motivated.
Through his counsel, Gandhi stated that the accusations against him were incorrect and were made by twisting his words. Addressing the court, he said,
“The allegations are baseless and unfounded. I have never used derogatory words against anyone, nor have I used such language with the intention of defaming anyone. A false complaint has been filed by distorting my statement.”
He further reiterated that the complaint had been filed with political intentions and was aimed at harming his reputation as well as the image of his political party.
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He told the court,
“The allegations have been made against me out of political malice with the aim of destroying my image and that of my party. I have never used derogatory words against anyone, nor have I used such language with the intention of defaming anyone.”
The counsel for the complainant informed the court that the cross-examination of BJP leader Vijay Mishra, who is the complainant in the case, has already been completed. In addition, the cross-examination of two other witnesses presented by the complainant has also concluded.
The defamation case has been pending for several years and dates back to 2018 when Vijay Mishra, a local BJP leader and former chairman of the District Cooperative Bank, approached the court with the complaint. He alleged that during a public speech in the Karnataka election campaign, Rahul Gandhi made statements that were defamatory towards Amit Shah.
The trial has been continuing for nearly five years. During the course of the proceedings, the court had issued a warrant against Rahul Gandhi in December 2023 due to his non-appearance before the court. Following this, Gandhi appeared before the court in February 2024 and surrendered. After his appearance, a special magistrate granted him bail on furnishing two sureties of Rs 25,000 each.
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Later, on July 26, 2024, Rahul Gandhi again appeared before the court and recorded his statement in connection with the case. At that time also, he maintained that he was innocent and described the complaint as a political conspiracy against him.
After recording his statement, the court directed the complainant to present evidence supporting the allegations made in the complaint. The case has since been progressing through the stages of evidence and examination of witnesses, and the court is now set to hear further arguments in the matter on March 12.
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