New Delhi, October 13 (Daily Kiran) : The Supreme Court has provided significant relief to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by halting the trial proceedings in a criminal defamation case linked to comments he made about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The court’s decision comes in response to Gandhi’s remarks where he referred to Modi as “the leader of thieves” and “commander-in-thief.”
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Apreesh Kumar Singh issued a notice on Gandhi’s petition challenging an order from the Bombay High Court dated September 8. The High Court had refused to dismiss the defamation complaint against him. The Supreme Court has directed the involved parties to submit their responses within four weeks, during which the trial court’s proceedings will remain on hold.
Gandhi had contested a summons issued by a magistrate’s court in the Bombay High Court, arguing that the complaint filed by BJP worker Mahesh ShreeShrimal was not tenable. He contended that his remarks did not mention any political party or target any identifiable individual or group, thus lacking grounds for a defamation suit.
The complaint, lodged by ShreeShrimal in a metropolitan magistrate’s court, alleged that Gandhi’s statements harmed the reputation of both the Prime Minister and the BJP, suggesting that calling Modi the “leader of thieves” implied that BJP members were also thieves.
The High Court, in its order, referenced a related case involving Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, which recognized political parties as identifiable entities. Additionally, Gandhi has filed a petition regarding police actions during protests on October 10, where he may also present his side during the hearings.
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