Rahul Gandhi Granted Bail in Sultanpur Defamation Case After Court Appearance

Sultanpur : Amidst tight security, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi appeared in the Sultanpur MP-MLA court on Tuesday and secured bail in a five-year-old defamation case filed against him. This case stems from alleged derogatory remarks he made about Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The case centers around comments made by Gandhi during the 2018 Karnataka elections, where he referred to the head of a party promoting honesty being accused of murder. Though Shah was acquitted in the 2005 fake encounter case four years prior to Gandhi's statement, Sultanpur BJP leader Vijay Mishra found the remarks defamatory and filed a complaint in August 2018.

Gandhi's lawyer, Kashi Prasad Shukla, argued that the accusations were baseless and sought bail. After hearing arguments from both sides, Judge Yogesh Yadav granted conditional bail with a requirement to post bonds of Rs 25,000 each. The court set March 2, 2024, for further proceedings.

This development temporarily halted Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra on Tuesday as Gandhi fulfilled his judicial obligations. If convicted, he faces a potential two-year prison sentence.

Mishra claims he was deeply hurt by the allegations against Shah, prompting him to file the case. While the legal battle continues, this bail hearing marks a temporary relief for Gandhi.