Rahul Gandhi Appears in Court for 2014 Defamation Case

LEADER OF the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday appeared before the Bhiwandi magistrate court to furnish a fresh surety in a 2014 criminal defamation case filed by an RSS activist. Rahul presented Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Harshwardhan Sapkal as his new guarantor after his earlier surety, former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil Chakurkar, passed away in December last year. The court had directed Rahul to remain personally present to complete the formalities related to the new surety. After Sapkal’s surety was submitted, Rahul signed the bond. His counsel said the appearance was largely procedural and required due to the change in surety. The case stems from a speech Rahul delivered during the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign at Sonale village in Bhiwandi taluka, where he allegedly stated that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was behind the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Following the speech, RSS activist Rajesh Kunte filed a private complaint under Section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code. The trial has reached an advanced stage, with the complainant’s chief examination and cross-examination already completed. Further proceedings will now continue. Earlier in the day, Rahul arrived in Mumbai by flight and travelled by road to Bhiwandi. BJP workers showed black flags to him in Mumbai, describing it as a response to a Youth Congress protest during the AI Summit on Friday.