Defamation case against Rahul: UP court defers hearing to Nov 17

Sultanpur: The hearing in the defamation case against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was adjourned on Thursday in the MP-MLA court of Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi’s counsel, Kashi Prasad Shukla, informed that the proceedings were postponed due to a condolence meeting held in court following the death of an advocate.

The next hearing will take place on November 17.

The case dates back to 2018, when BJP leader Vijay Mishra, a resident of Hanumanganj in Kotwali Dehat, lodged a defamation complaint against Rahul Gandhi. Mishra alleged that during the Karnataka Assembly elections that year, Gandhi made objectionable remarks against then BJP president and current Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

During the five-year-long proceedings, Gandhi failed to appear before the court on multiple occasions. As a result, in December 2023, the then presiding judge issued a warrant against him. In February 2024, Rahul Gandhi surrendered before the court, and the special magistrate granted him bail on two sureties of Rs 25,000 each.

On July 26, 2024, Rahul Gandhi recorded his statement in the court, asserting his innocence and calling the case a political conspiracy. The court then directed the complainant to produce witnesses. So far, only one witness has been cross-examined, while the examination of the second witness has just begun.

Frequent strikes and the absence of witnesses have contributed to repeated delays in the case proceedings.