National/Alive News: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been acquitted by the MP-MLA court in Sultanpur in an eight-year-old defamation case linked to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Rahul was present in court when the verdict was pronounced.
The case was filed in August 2018 by BJP leader Vijay Mishra, who accused Rahul of making defamatory remarks about Shah during a press conference in Bengaluru on May 8, 2018. Rahul allegedly questioned the BJP’s commitment to honesty, stating that the party’s president was an accused in a murder case.
The controversy was linked to Shah’s alleged involvement in the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. However, a special CBI court in Mumbai discharged Shah from the case in 2014.
During the proceedings, Rahul admitted to making the statement but maintained that it was made in good faith and that he had no intention of defaming anyone.
The MP-MLA court summoned Rahul on November 27, 2023. He appeared before the court on February 20, 2024, and secured bail after furnishing two sureties of ₹25,000 each. His statement was subsequently recorded on July 26, 2024.
The complainant also sought forensic examination of a compact disc (CD) to match the voice recorded on it with Rahul’s voice sample. However, the trial court rejected the application on May 2. The Sessions Court also dismissed the request on July 15, following which the complainant approached the High Court.
The case was registered under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, which deal with criminal defamation and its punishment.
Separately, Rahul’s Lok Sabha membership was terminated in March 2023 after a Surat court sentenced him to two years in prison in another defamation case. He was representing Wayanad in Parliament at the time. His membership was later restored after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction.
