Rahul Gandhi granted permanent exemption from appearance by Gujarat court in defamation case

The lawyer appearing for Rahul Gandhi submitted before the court that it is not possible for him to attend day-to-day court proceedings as he is a national leader and has a busy schedule

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (file photo)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (file photo)
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NH Web Desk

The Court of Metropolitan Magistrate in Ahmedabad on Tuesday granted Congress leader and Member of Parliament from Wayanad (Kerala) Rahul Gandhi permanent exemption from appearance in a criminal defamation case, which he is facing over remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, legal news website LiveLaw.in has reported.

The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate R. B. Etaliya allowed Gandhi's plea seeking permanent exemption from appearance in the criminal defamation case.

It may be noted that while addressing an election rally in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh (before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections), Rahul Gandhi had called Amit Shah, a "murder accused". He further said, "Waah kya shaan hai!"

In the present case, BJP corporator Krishnavadan Brahmbhatt filed a complaint that the slur used by Gandhi was slanderous as Shah was discharged in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh fake encounter case in 2015.

In January 2020, Rahul Gandhi appeared before the court and pleaded `not guilty''. Thereafter, he was granted bail.


On Tuesday, the lawyer appearing for Rahul Gandhi, P. S. Champaneri submitted before the court that his client Rahul Gandhi is a leader of a national political party and had a busy schedule, due to which it wouldn't be possible for him to appear before the court to face the trial in the case.

It may be noted that in September 2019, Rahul Gandhi had raised this plea for the first time and had sought permanent exemption from appearance before the court.

After that, hearing on this plea of Rahul Gandhi was delayed first due to adjournments sought by the lawyer for the complainant, BJP corporator Krishnavadan Brahmbhatt.

Thereafter, Brahmbhatt's lawyer S V Raju was appointed Additional Solicitor General of India, and on account of this, he required the permission of the Union Ministry of Law and Justice to appear in the case for BJP corporator Krishnavadan Brahmbhatt. This caused further delay.

The lawyer appearing for Rahul Gandhi submitted before the court that it is not possible for him to attend day-to-day court proceedings as he is a national leader and has a busy schedule.

He also argued before the court that it will cause him undue hardship if he is forced to appear on each and every hearing in the case and that he should be allowed to appear through his pleader and he be granted permanent exemption from court appearance in the case.

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