The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the trial against LoP Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case over his alleged remarks targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The court also issued notice to the Maharashtra government, asking it to respond within four weeks.
“Issue notice returnable in 4 weeks. In the meantime, further proceedings before the trial court shall remain stayed,” the bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Aparesh Kumar Singh held.
The court was hearing the plea filed by Gandhi challenging the Bombay High Court’s earlier order. The Bombay HC’s September 8 order declined to quash summons to him by the Metropolitan Magistrate in a 2019 defamation case.
To recall, the case pertains to a criminal defamation filed by BJP member Mahesh Shrishrimal against Gandhi before the Girgaon Magistrate Court (Mumbai) in 2018. Shrishrimal alleged that Gandhi disreputed the Prime Minister, his party members and all citizens by calling the Prime Minister “Choron Ke Sardar” and “Commander in thief” in relation to a Rafale fighter jet deal in a public speech in Rajasthan in 2018.
In 2019, the Metropolitan Magistrate summoned Gandhi to appear in person. However, Gandhi challenged the summons before the Bombay High Court in 2021, which declined to quash the Magistrate’s summons on September 8 this year. The HC also directed the magistrate to defer the hearings for six weeks so that Gandhi could approach the top court.
