GANGTOK, OCT 26: A special MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur on Monday acquitted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case over his remarks against Amit Shah, who was the BJP president in 2018.
Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP from Raebareli, was present in court when the verdict was pronounced. Santosh Pandey, counsel for the complainant Vijay Mishra, confirmed the acquittal.
The verdict triggered celebrations among Congress workers gathered outside the court complex, where party workers beat drums and distributed sweets. Police had tightened security in Sultanpur, particularly around the court premises, ahead of the proceedings.
The case stemmed from remarks Gandhi made against Shah during a rally in Bengaluru ahead of the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections. Mishra, a local BJP leader and former chairman of the District Cooperative Bank in Sultanpur, filed the defamation complaint against Gandhi on August 4, 2018.
Gandhi appeared before the court in 2023 and was granted bail. The court had initially scheduled the verdict for October 13 before subsequently fixing October 26 for the pronouncement.
Earlier on Monday, vehicles in Gandhi’s convoy collided on Uttar Pradesh’s Purvanchal Expressway while he was travelling to Sultanpur to appear before the court.
The incident reportedly occurred around 10:15 am after a private car associated with local Congress leaders at the front of the convoy braked abruptly, triggering a chain collision involving vehicles behind it. The reason for the sudden braking was not immediately clear.
The acquittal marks a significant development in the long-running defamation case, with Congress supporters welcoming the court’s decision.
अनलाइन् खबर पत्रिका तथ्य जाँच र आचारसंहिता प्रतिवेदन:
यो सामग्री हाम्रा सम्पादक टोलीद्वारा तथ्य प्रमाणीकरण र प्रेस काउन्सिल अफ इन्डिया आचारसंहिता बमोजिम प्रकाशित गरिएको हो।
