Modi Surname Case: Patna Court Asks Rahul Gandhi To Appear Before It On April 25

The defamation case against Rahul Gandhi has been lodged in the MP/MLA court by BJP's Rajya Sabha MP and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi. 

Rahul Gandhi has been asked to appear before Patna court on April 25

Source : PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been asked by a Patna court to appear before it on April 25 in a defamation case filed over his purported remark on Modi surname. As per a report by PTI, Special Judicial Magistrate Aadi Dev of the MP/MLA court had passed an order on March 18 asking Gandhi to appear before it on April 12. The defamation case has been lodged in the MP/MLA court by BJP's Rajya Sabha MP and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi. 

On Wednesday, during the hearing, however, the defence counsel sought another date stating that the entire team was busy with the Surat case, in which Gandhi was sentenced to two years in prison and disqualified from the Lok Sabha. 

To this, the judge asked Gandhi's counsel to ensure his physical appearance before the court on the next date of hearing in the case on April 25.

Prosecution lawyer Priya Gupta told the media that the statement from the complainant's side has been recorded and all evidence submitted to the court and now only the statement of Gandhi is to be recorded.

This is the second case involving the Congress leader for his ‘Modi surname’ remark made during the 2019 poll campaigning in Karnataka. 

Earlier, a Surat court had found Rahul Gandhi guilty in the criminal defamation case filed by BJP leader Purnesh Modi. Rahul was given a sentence of two years of imprisonment but later secured bail which was later extended. Following the punishment, he was disqualified as an MP from Lok Sabha. 

On Wednesday, while opposing Rahul Gandhi's plea before a Surat court for a stay of conviction in the case, complainant Purnesh Modi said the Congress leader is a "repetitive offender" who is in the habit of making defamatory statements.

The way Gandhi turned up to file his appeal against the magistrate's order sentencing him to two years in jail showed "extraordinary arrogance" and "a very dirty display of childish arrogance and an immature act of bringing pressure upon the court," Modi's reply said, referring to the Congress's show of strength outside the court.