Today, On 6th August, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was granted bail by a Jharkhand court in a 2018 defamation case linked to remarks against Amit Shah. He appeared as directed by the High Court and secured bail during the hearing.
Chaibasa: An MP-MLA court in Chaibasa, Jharkhand granted bail to senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a case linked to alleged defamatory comments he made against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a 2018 rally.
Gandhi reached the court around 10:55 am in compliance with the Jharkhand High Court’s directions.
Speaking to the media, the Congress MP’s lawyer said,
“Rahul Gandhi ji appeared before the court as per the direction from the Jharkhand High Court. He had sought bail, which was granted. We will now take the process ahead.”
Also Read: Defamation Case Against Rahul Gandhi | Court Adjourns Hearing to March 6
This case is based on Rahul Gandhi’s statement during a Congress party event in 2018. He had allegedly made derogatory remarks against Amit Shah, who was the BJP National President at that time.
According to Pratap Katiyar, a resident of Chaibasa who filed the complaint,
Rahul Gandhi said,
“No murderer can become the National President in Congress. Congressmen cannot accept a murderer as the National President, this is possible only in the BJP.”
The complainant took this as a direct defamatory comment aimed at Amit Shah and filed a complaint on July 9, 2018. Since then, the case has been going on in the courts.
Also Read: Rahul Gandhi Summoned by Lucknow Court Over Alleged Remarks on Indian Army
In April 2022, the Chaibasa court had first issued a bailable warrant against Rahul Gandhi after he failed to respond to earlier summons.
However, when he still did not appear in court, the matter was taken more seriously and a non-bailable warrant was issued in February 2024.
Rahul Gandhi’s legal team had requested the court to allow him to skip personal appearance and asked for exemption, but the Chaibasa court rejected the plea.
Following this, Rahul Gandhi approached the Jharkhand High Court, which gave him interim relief by staying the warrant for a few months.
But in March 2024, the High Court disposed of his petition, which allowed the trial to start again in the lower court.
After that, when his lawyers once more asked the Chaibasa court to allow Rahul Gandhi to stay away from personal appearance, the request was again turned down by the court.
Apart from this case in Chaibasa, Rahul Gandhi is also facing another defamation case in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
Also Read: Rahul Gandhi Moves Supreme Court Over Savarkar Defamation Case – Hearing on Friday
That case also involves his remarks against Amit Shah. In that case, he had appeared in person in the Sultanpur court in July last year.
However, on May 17, the hearing in that case did not take place because there was a lawyers’ workshop on that day.
Click Here to Read More Reports on Rahul Gandhi Case