Relief For Rahul Gandhi As Jharkhand Court Grants Bail In Amit Shah Defamation Case
On Wednesday, a Jharkhand court granted bail to Rahul Gandhi in connection to the defamation case.
Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, was granted conditional bail on Wednesday by an MP-MLA special court in Chaibasa in connection with a 2018 defamation case related to alleged remarks he made against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a public rally.
Gandhi appeared before the Chaibasa court of Judge Supriya Rani Tigga at around 10.55 am, in compliance with a directive from the Jharkhand High Court. The court granted him bail on the condition that he cooperate fully with the trial proceedings, reported PTI.
Background of the Case
The case stems from a complaint filed in 2018 by Pratap Kumar, who accused Gandhi of making defamatory statements against Shah during a political rally in Chaibasa. Kumar alleged that the remarks were made deliberately to malign the reputation and public image of the Union Minister.
Originally registered in Ranchi, the case was transferred to Chaibasa in 2021. Gandhi’s legal team had previously approached the Jharkhand High Court, seeking an exemption from personal appearance. On June 2, they challenged a lower court's order summoning Gandhi to appear on June 26. His counsel later informed the court that Gandhi would be unable to attend on that date and requested a new appearance date of August 6, which the High Court accepted.
Legal Proceedings and Bail
Speaking to reporters after the court appearance, Gandhi's counsel Pranav Daripa said, “Rahul Gandhi ji appeared before the court as directed by the High Court. He sought bail, which has now been granted with conditions. We will proceed with the next steps in accordance with the legal process.”
Another advocate, Dheeraj Kumar, added that the court has specifically directed Gandhi to cooperate during the trial, which will continue under the jurisdiction of the Chaibasa MP-MLA special court.
Gandhi's Visit to Jharkhand
Gandhi arrived in Jharkhand on Tuesday to attend the funeral of veteran tribal leader and former state chief minister Shibu Soren at his ancestral village Nemra, located in Ramgarh district.
According to officials, Gandhi travelled to Chaibasa from Ranchi via helicopter, with a temporary helipad set up at Tata College Ground to facilitate his arrival.
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