Rahul Gandhi Disqualified As MP: A Look At 5 Other Defamation Cases Against Congress Leader

The court, however, stayed the ruling and gave the Congress leader 30 days to appeal to higher courts.

Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi.

A Surat court convicted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday in a defamation lawsuit over a four-year-old comment that purportedly harmed the Modi community's emotions.

The court, however, stayed the ruling and gave the Congress leader 30 days to appeal to higher courts.

Gandhi was granted bail in the seventh charge filed against him.

Below is a list of the (defamation) cases he is now dealing with around the country: 

Modi Surname Case 

Rahul Gandhi was convicted to two years in prison in the defamation case on March 23, 2023, and was subsequently given bail with a Rs 15,000 bond. The punishment was suspended for 30 days to allow him to appeal to a higher court.

The judgment refers to Rahul Gandhi's reported statements in April 2019 at a Lok Sabha election rally in Kolar, Karnataka, "how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?"

Patna Defamation Case 

On July 6, 2019, a Patna court granted Rahul Gandhi bail in another defamation case. Sushil Modi, a BJP lawmaker and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister, filed the complaint in response to his comment, "How come all the robbers have Modi as the common surname?"

Ahmedabad Defamation Case 

On July 12, 2019, a court in Ahmedabad granted bail to the Congress leader in a defamation case. The Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank filed the complaint in response to Gandhi's accusation that the bank was involved in a currency exchange fraud during demonetisation.

Mumbai Defamation Case 

On July 4, 2019, Gandhi was granted bail by a Mumbai court in a lawsuit brought by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh member for his claimed comment relating Gauri Lankesh's slaying to "BJP-RSS ideology." Gandhi was granted bail on a surety of Rs 15,000 by the court.

Maharashtra Defamation Case 

In November 2016, a Maharashtra court awarded Gandhi bail in a petition filed by an RSS worker charging the organisation of murdering MK Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi allegedly stated that the RSS murdered Gandhi. He made these comments at a Thane protest in March 2014.

He had retracted his allegation before the Supreme Court, claiming that he did not intend to accuse the entire RSS of assassinating Gandhi.

Guwahati Defamation Case 

In September 2016, a Guwahati court granted Rahul Gandhi bail in a slander prosecution brought by the RSS.

Rahul filed the complaint after claiming that the RSS banned him from attending the Barpeta temple in Assam in December 2015.

(With Inputs From ANI)