Rahul Gandhi Attends Sultanpur Court For 2018 Defamation Case Verdict

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News)

Rahul Gandhi Arrives at Sultanpur Court

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi reached the Special MP/MLA court in Uttar Pradesh's Sultanpur ahead of the pronouncement of the verdict in the 2018 defamation case regarding remarks against Amit Shah. Earlier today, a few cars in Rahul Gandhi's convoy were involved in an accident on the way to Uttar Pradesh's Sultanpur, where Gandhi was travelling to the Special MP/MLA court. The convoy was travelling on the Purvanchal Expressway.

Details of the Legal Case

The complainant in the defamation case, Vijay Mishra, told ANI earlier today that he is“hopeful” of receiving justice from the court. "We are hopeful that we will receive justice, given the way they behaved toward our BJP's national president at that time (Amit Shah). This legal case has been ongoing since 2018, spanning all the way to 2026. Today is the date for the verdict, and given how the case has been contested by our legal counsel, we are optimistic that the judgment will be in our favour," Mishra told ANI.

"This matter dates back to May 2018, when, during a press conference in Bengaluru, Rahul Gandhi made objectionable remarks about the then-national president of the BJP, Amit Shah. He referred to him as an accused in a murder case. Aggrieved by this, Vijay Mishra-the then-chairman of the local District Co-operative Bank, who also served as a BJP vice-president for the district-filed a formal complaint," advocate Kashi Prasad Shukla, one of the counsel in the case, told ANI on Monday.

Statements from Congress Leaders

Senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari and Uttar Pradesh Congress president Aradhana Mona Mishra were also present at the Lucknow airport earlier today to welcome the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, while a large number of Congress supporters were present near the premises in support of Rahul Gandhi, holding party flags and banners.

“He respects the court, respects the constitution, and today there is a court in the case that is why he is present here. His (Rahul Gandhi's) statements were not taken in the right context,” Congress MP Pramod Tiwari told ANI.

“He is going to Sultanpur, there is a court date today. He has come here before too. We have full faith in the justice system,” UP Congress president Aradhana Mona Mishra told ANI.

Legal Implications of the Verdict

Earlier, talking about the case, advocate Pandey said that if Gandhi is found guilty, Section 500 of IPC allows for two years of imprisonment and a fine.“Section 500 of the IPC provides for simple imprisonment of up to two years and a fine, or either one of these. It is entirely at the discretion of the court to determine the duration of the imprisonment, the amount of the fine, or whether to acquit him. The judgment will be based on the legal evidence presented," advocate Pandey said.

Rahul Gandhi is required to be present at the time of the judgment's pronouncement, according to the advocate. Under Section 437A of the CrPC, an accused is required to execute bail bonds with sureties to ensure appearance before higher appellate courts in the event an appeal is preferred against the trial court's verdict. However, CrPC has now been replaced by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, and under this, the older CrPC Section 437A corresponds to Section 481 of the BNSS. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

MENAFN26102026007385015968ID1111864780