Chaibasa (Jharkhand), Aug 6: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, appeared before the MP-MLA Special Court in Chaibasa, Jharkhand, on Wednesday in connection with a criminal defamation case filed over his remarks against the then BJP national president, Amit Shah.
The court granted him bail on the condition that he would cooperate with the trial proceedings. Rahul Gandhi appeared in person before Judicial Magistrate Supriya Rani Tigga. The court granted him relief after hearing arguments from his legal team, which included senior advocates Pradeep Chandra and Dipankar Roy.
The case pertains to a speech delivered by Rahul Gandhi during a Congress session in 2018, in which he allegedly referred to Amit Shah as a “murderer”. In his address, Gandhi had reportedly said, “No murderer can become the national president in Congress. Congressmen cannot accept a murderer as the national president; this is possible only in the BJP.”
Offended by this statement, local BJP leader Pratap Katiyar, a resident of Chaibasa, filed a criminal defamation complaint against Rahul Gandhi on July 9, 2018. The matter had been pending for several years, during which multiple warrants were issued.
Initially, the court issued a bailable warrant in April 2022. When Gandhi failed to appear, a non-bailable warrant was issued in February 2024. Gandhi had sought exemption from personal appearance under Section 205 of the CrPC, but the Chaibasa court rejected the plea. He then moved Jharkhand High Court, which granted him temporary relief.
However, in March 2024, the High Court disposed of his petition, paving the way for further action. Following this, the Chaibasa court issued another non-bailable warrant on May 22, 2025. Gandhi finally complied with the court’s order and appeared in person today, after which he was granted conditional bail. The case will now move into the trial phase.
IANS
