Rahul Gandhi Acquitted in Defamation Case Over 2018 Campaign Remarks
A Sultanpur court has acquitted Rahul Gandhi in a 2018 defamation case. Read about the court's ruling and the Congress party's reaction.
In a significant legal victory, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has been acquitted by a Special MP/MLA Court in Sultanpur in a criminal defamation case. Following the verdict, Rahul Gandhi met with his legal team and senior Congress leaders to discuss the outcome of the long-standing legal battle.
The Court's Ruling
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Shubham Verma dismissed the lawsuit, which dated back to 2018. The case centered on controversial remarks made by Gandhi during the Karnataka Assembly campaign that year. The court ruled that the statements in question were not defamatory in nature.
The core of the dispute involved the phrase "murder accused," which Gandhi had used during the campaign. This reference pertained to the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case in Gujarat. While Union Home Minister Amit Shah had been named as an accused during the early stages of that investigation, it is important to note that a Special CBI Court in Mumbai had completely discharged him of all charges in December 2014.
Congress Celebrates 'Victory of Truth'
The Congress party has reacted with enthusiasm to the acquittal, framing the judgment as a triumph of truth over political targeting.
- KC Venugopal, General Secretary (Organisation): Stated that the verdict confirms that truth cannot fail, noting that BJP members often attack Rahul Gandhi whenever he speaks the truth.
- Aradhana Mishra Mona, UP Congress President: Described the decision as a victory for Gandhi's faith and a testament to the fact that truth cannot be suppressed for long.
- Sachin Pilot, Congress Leader: Welcomed the "fair and correct" decision, asserting that there have been consistent attempts to implicate Rahul Gandhi, but this verdict represents a victory for justice.
Legal Perspective on the Acquittal
Advocate Kashi Prasad Shukla, who represented Rahul Gandhi, highlighted a key technical aspect of the ruling. According to Shukla, the court found that the complainant, Vijay Mishra, did not qualify as an "aggrieved person," meaning he lacked the legal standing to bring the case forward.
"Rahul Gandhi has been acquitted in this case. The court determined that the complainant, Vijay Mishra, did not qualify as an aggrieved person," Advocate Shukla told ANI.
While the legal team expressed their happiness over the acquittal, they noted that they are awaiting the full text of the judgment to understand the specific detailed reasoning and grounds upon which the case was dismissed.