The complaint, filed by VD Savarkar’s grandnephew Satyaki Savarkar, alleges that Gandhi falsely claimed in a March 2023 speech in London that VD Savarkar wrote about an incident where he and his friends beat a Muslim man and felt happy about it.
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Pune, On Dec 2: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi did not appear in a Pune court on Monday (2nd Nov) regarding a defamation complaint filed by the family of Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar.
Gandhi’s lawyer, Milind Pawar, explained that his client had requested an exemption due to the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament. Pawar assured the court that Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, would attend the next hearing on January 10.
BRIEF FACTS
The complaint, filed by VD Savarkar’s grandnephew Satyaki Savarkar, alleges that Gandhi falsely claimed in a March 2023 speech in London that VD Savarkar wrote about an incident where he and his friends beat a Muslim man and felt happy about it.
The complainant asserts that no such statement exists in Savarkar’s writings.
Earlier, the court directed the police to investigate the allegations. The Vishrambaug police’s report found prima facie merit in the complaint. On November 18, a special court for MPs/MLAs, presided over by Joint Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Amol Shinde, ordered Gandhi to appear on December 2.
Advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, representing Satyaki Savarkar, requested the court to issue a non-bailable warrant against Gandhi, citing his repeated absence despite summons. Kolhatkar argued this constituted contempt of court and sought action under IPC Section 174 (non-attendance in response to an order from a public servant). He warned that a non-bailable warrant would be issued if Gandhi fails to appear on January 10.
Kolhatkar also submitted news reports about a recent speech by Gandhi on November 26, where he allegedly made similar remarks about Savarkar. Judge Shinde advised Pawar to instruct Gandhi to refrain from such comments.
The court had initially summoned Gandhi on October 23, but he did not appear, claiming he had not received the summons. On November 18, Pawar cited Gandhi’s busy election schedule, and the court rescheduled his appearance for December 2.
The next hearing is now set for January 10.
