JNS: The Jharkhand High Court, on Friday, dismissed a petition seeking to quash a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi for his remarks against Amit Shah, the then BJP President, in 2018. The rejection of Rahul Gandhi’s petition means that he will now face trial in the lower court.
The civil court had issued a summons in the defamation case, following which Rahul Gandhi filed a quashing petition in the High Court. However, with the High Court rejecting his plea, the trial will proceed against the Congress leader in the lower court.
The arguments in the case were completed on February 9, and the court of Justice Ambuj Nath of Jharkhand High Court had reserved its decision. The court pronounced its verdict on February 20, with a copy of the decision uploaded today.
Advocate Dipankar appeared on behalf of Rahul Gandhi, while senior advocates Ajit Kumar, Vinod Kumar Sahu, and Kumar Harsh represented the defendant in court.
The case stems from Rahul Gandhi’s remarks against Amit Shah during the 2018 Congress General Conference in Delhi, where he had made comments suggesting that a murderer could become the national president only in the BJP. Following these remarks, a defamation case was filed against him in 2019 by complainant Naveen Jha, who alleged that his sentiments were hurt by Rahul Gandhi’s comments.
The lower court had taken cognizance of the matter, leading to Rahul Gandhi filing a criminal quashing petition in the High Court to challenge the lower court’s order.
