Rahul Gandhi defamation case: Supreme Courtroom stays proceedings

The Supreme Courtroom, on 20 January, Monday, stayed proceedings towards Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case linked to his alleged “assassin” comment about union dwelling minister Amit Shah in 2018.

The court docket issued a discover to the Jharkhand authorities and the complainant, Naveen Jha, searching for their responses to Gandhi’s petition. This petition challenges a February 2024 order by the Jharkhand Excessive Courtroom, which refused to quash the summons issued by the trial court docket.

The defamation case originated from Gandhi’s public speech in Jharkhand’s Chaibasa earlier than the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, throughout which he allegedly referred to Shah as a “assassin”. Jha, a BJP employee, filed the case in 2019, prompting authorized proceedings towards Gandhi.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Gandhi, argued that the defamation case was filed by a 3rd occasion, which isn’t permissible below Indian defamation legislation.

He questioned, “If you’re not the particular person aggrieved, how are you going to have a proxy submitting of grievance?”