Politics
Sultanpur court acquits Rahul Gandhi in 2018 case
The Indian Express·
A special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur on Monday acquitted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a 2018 criminal defamation case. Local BJP leader Vijay Mishra had accused Gandhi of derogatory remarks about Amit Shah during the Karnataka Assembly polls. Defence counsel Kashi Prasad Shukla confirmed the acquittal. Arguments ended on October 12. The verdict date was fixed for October 26.
Prism
What It Means For You
- The criminal defamation charges in this Sultanpur complaint are dismissed after the Monday verdict.
- Gandhi appeared in person for the pronouncement after travelling from Lucknow under heavy security.
- Uttar Pradesh Congress welcomed the acquittal in a Hindi statement tied to the Shah remarks case.
What's Happening
- The complaint alleged Gandhi called Shah a murder accused at a May 8, 2018 Bengaluru rally.
- Mishra filed the complaint on August 4, 2018 while he was a BJP district vice-president.
- The trial court recorded three witnesses and rejected a plea seeking Gandhi's voice sample match.
Case Timeline In Brief
- The court summoned Gandhi on November 27, 2023. He surrendered on February 20, 2024 and got bail.
- Sessions and Allahabad High Court benches dismissed challenges to the voice-sample refusal.
- Gandhi had earlier called the filing an attempt at cheap publicity while denying defamatory statements.
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