The Supreme Court stayed further trial-court proceedings in a Maharashtra defamation case against Rahul Gandhi over remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It issued notices to the state government and complainant MH Shrishrimal, seeking responses within four weeks.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed further proceedings in a defamation case in Maharashtra against Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, over remarks he made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Aparesh Kumar Singh issued notices to the Maharashtra government and the complainant, MH Shrishrimal, seeking their responses in four weeks.
"Issue notice returnable in four weeks. Further proceedings before the trial court shall remain stayed," the bench ordered on a plea filed by Gandhi against a September 8 order of the Bombay High Court refusing to quash summons to him.
Defamation case against Rahul Gandhi
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the Congress leader, referred to earlier decisions of the top court and said the law is settled in the matter.
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The Supreme Court stayed further proceedings before the trial court. It also issued notices to the Maharashtra government and complainant MH Shrishrimal, asking them to respond within four weeks.
The complaint alleges Gandhi defamed PM Modi in a public speech in Rajasthan on September 20, 2018, using phrases including “commander-in-thief” and “Choron Ke Sardar” while discussing the Rafale deal.
On September 8, the Bombay High Court refused to quash the summons issued to Gandhi. It continued an earlier direction to defer the magistrate’s hearing for six weeks so Gandhi could approach the Supreme Court.
MH Shrishrimal filed the complaint. He told the Bombay High Court that, as a BJP member, he was also aggrieved by Gandhi’s remarks about PM Modi.
The Maharashtra government and complainant MH Shrishrimal have been asked to respond within four weeks. Meanwhile, further trial-court proceedings remain stayed.
Earlier, on September 8, the Bombay High Court refused to quash the summons issued to Gandhi in 2019 in the defamation case.
It had dismissed Gandhi's petition against a Girgaum magistrate's order dated August 28, 2019, for a process against him on Shrishrimal's complaint.
The High Court, however, continued its 2021 order directing the magistrate to defer the hearing on the complaint for six weeks so that Gandhi could approach the Supreme Court.
Shrishrimal had opposed Gandhi's plea in the High Court, claiming that being a member of the BJP, he too was aggrieved by the remarks made against his leader.
What Rahul said in 2018
The complaint had alleged that Gandhi defamed PM Modi in a public speech on September 20, 2018, in Rajasthan with terms like "commander-in-thief" and "Choron Ke Sardar" while speaking about the Rafale fighter jet deal.
It claimed that Gandhi's statements amounted to direct allegations against all members of the BJP and Indian citizens connected to PM Modi.