Pune Court Summons Rahul Gandhi In Defamation Case

A Pune Court has summoned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to appear on August 19, 2024, in a defamation case concerning alleged defamatory remarks he made about VD Savarkar during a visit to the United Kingdom.

The defamation complaint alleges that Gandhi has repeatedly defamed Savarkar over the years, with one notable instance occurring on March 5, 2023, during a speech to the Overseas Congress in the UK.

The complainant claims that Gandhi made knowingly false and malicious allegations against Savarkar to damage his reputation and cause mental distress to the complainant and his family. Although the speech was given in England, its impact was felt in Pune as it was widely published in India.

Satyaki submitted news reports and a YouTube video of Gandhi's London speech as evidence, asserting that Gandhi falsely accused Savarkar of writing about beating a Muslim, an event that never occurred. He argued that Gandhi's allegations were made with the intent to defame Savarkar.

The complaint seeks maximum punishment for Gandhi under Section 500 of the IPC and demands maximum compensation under Section 357 of the CrPC.

After recording the statements of Satyaki and two witnesses in January 2024, the court directed the Pune City police to investigate the complaint under Section 202 of the CrPC. Following the submission of the police report on May 27, 2024, the magistrate took cognizance of the complaint and issued the summons to Gandhi.

Source: Live Law