Rahul Gandhi’s counsel partially cross-examined a key witness in the defamation case before the Sultanpur MP-MLA court. The hearing was adjourned, with the next date fixed for January 6.
The MP-MLA court in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday heard further proceedings in the defamation case filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. During the hearing, Gandhi’s lawyer carried out the cross-examination of a prosecution witness, but the questioning could not be completed within the available time.
As a result, the court has fixed the next date of hearing for January 6.
Santosh Kumar Pandey, the advocate representing the complainant, informed that Rahul Gandhi’s counsel, Kashi Prasad Shukla, partially cross-examined the witness, Ramchandra Dubey, on Tuesday.
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Since the cross-examination remained incomplete, the court decided to continue the process on the next scheduled date.
The hearing in this case was earlier postponed on December 12 after Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer requested additional time from the court. Accepting the request, the court had listed the matter for December 23, when the partial cross-examination took place.
The defamation case has its roots in the year 2018. It was filed by local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijay Mishra, who alleged that Rahul Gandhi made derogatory remarks against the then BJP president and current Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the Karnataka Assembly election campaign in 2018.
The complainant claimed that the statements harmed the reputation of the BJP leader and warranted criminal action.
In December 2023, the court issued a warrant against Rahul Gandhi after he failed to appear before it. Following this, Gandhi surrendered before the court in February 2024. A special magistrate subsequently granted him bail on furnishing two sureties of Rs 25,000 each.
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On July 26, 2024, Rahul Gandhi recorded his statement before the court. During his deposition, he denied all allegations, asserted that he was innocent, and described the case as a “political conspiracy”.
After the completion of Gandhi’s statement, the court directed the complainant to present evidence to support the allegations. The current stage of the trial involves examination and cross-examination of prosecution witnesses, which will continue when the matter comes up for hearing again on January 6.
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