Rahul Gandhi Arrives in Lucknow for 2018 Defamation Case Court Verdict

Rahul Gandhi reached Lucknow for the verdict in a 2018 defamation case regarding remarks made about Amit Shah. The Sultanpur court is set to deliver its decision today amid support from local Congress leaders and party workers.

Rahul Gandhi Reaches Lucknow for Legal Proceedings

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 26 (ANI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived at Lucknow Airport today, from where he will travel to the Special MP/MLA court in Sultanpur as the court is expected to pronounce its verdict on the 2018 defamation case against remarks on Amit Shah.

"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, Rahul Gandhi’s defence counsel, told ANI on Monday.

Support and Court Attendance

Senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari, and Uttar Pradesh Congress president Aradhana Mona Mishra were also present at the airport, 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 Context of the Defamation Case

A Special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur is set to pronounce its verdict today in a defamation case filed against the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, over his alleged remarks targeting Union Home Minister and then-BJP national president Amit Shah during the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections.

Gandhi's defence counsel added, "Finding prima facie evidence, the honourable court summoned Rahul Gandhi under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). A full trial ensued; we examined three witnesses in court to substantiate the case."

Post-Verdict Legal Protocol

Detailing the post-verdict legal protocol, the counsel added, "Following the delivery of the judgment, compliance with Section 437A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) will be carried out. Thereafter, he will proceed to his next scheduled engagement as per his pre-planned itinerary."

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 Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, and under this, the older CrPC Section 437A corresponds to Section 481 of the BNSS.

The defamation complaint stems from a political rally addressed by Rahul Gandhi in Bengaluru during the Karnataka Assembly elections in May 2018. The complaint was filed by the then BJP District Vice President, Vijay Mishra. Speaking to ANI earlier in the day, Mishra said, "I was the vice president of BJP when this incident happened. Rahul Gandhi had accused Amit Shah in Bengaluru of being a murderer. When I heard these allegations, I felt very pained because I am a 33-year-old worker of the party. I filed a complaint regarding this through my lawyer, and this continued for almost 5 years. Today, the decision came in." (ANI)

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