Rahul Gandhi Defamation Case Hearing Deferred; New Date Set for June 29
A Sultanpur court has rescheduled the defamation case hearing against Rahul Gandhi to June 29. The delay was caused by the transfer of records to an ADJ court for a pending revision petition regarding the forensic examination of audio evidence.
Highlights
- •The hearing for the Rahul Gandhi defamation case was adjourned until June 29.
- •Proceedings were delayed as key case records were sent to an ADJ court.
- •The defense is seeking a forensic audit of the voice evidence on a CD.
- •The dispute stems from a 2018 complaint filed by BJP leader Vijay Mishra.
A local court in Sultanpur has officially deferred the hearing for the Rahul Gandhi defamation case, rescheduling the proceedings for June 29. The ongoing legal matter involves allegations made against the senior Congress leader regarding comments he purportedly directed at the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, during the 2018 election cycle in Karnataka.
Legal Developments in Rahul Gandhi Defamation Case
The adjournment on Wednesday was necessitated by the transfer of essential case records to the court of an Additional District Judge (ADJ). These documents were requisitioned to facilitate the evaluation of a pending revision petition. According to Kashi Prasad Shukla, the legal counsel representing the Congress leader, the defense has requested a forensic examination to authenticate the audio evidence currently under scrutiny.
Specifically, the revision petition seeks a comparative analysis between the actual voice of Rahul Gandhi and the audio recording stored on a compact disc submitted as primary evidence in the Rahul Gandhi defamation case. The court records were previously held by the lower magistrate court but have since been moved to the ADJ court to prepare for a separate hearing slated for June 25.
Because these foundational case records were unavailable, the MP/MLA court was unable to proceed with arguments during the most recent session. Consequently, the judiciary elected to postpone the main defamation trial until the end of the month, setting the next appearance for June 29.
Background of the Litigation
The litigation originated in 2018 when Vijay Mishra, a former chairman of the District Cooperative Bank and a local BJP leader, initiated a formal defamation complaint. The petition alleged that the Congress leader made disparaging remarks concerning Amit Shah, who was the president of the BJP at the time.
This legal battle has spanned more than five years. The procedural history includes a warrant issued in December 2023 following the leader's non-appearance. In February 2024, the situation progressed when the individual appeared in court and successfully secured bail with two sureties of Rs 25,000 each. By July 26, 2024, the accused officially recorded his statement, firmly denying all charges and characterizing the entire legal dispute as a politically motivated conspiracy. Following that testimony, the court instructed the complainant to proceed with presenting further evidence to support the claims brought forth in the initial complaint.
