New Delhi : An MP-MLA court in Jharkhand’s Chaibasa has issued a non-bailable warrant against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case, ordering him to appear in person before the court on June 26. The case, filed by BJP leader Pratap Katiyar, relates to remarks against Amit Shah, who was then the BJP president, by Rahul Gandhi during the Congress’s plenary session in 2018.
Alleging that Gandhi’s remark was defamatory and insulted all BJP workers, Katiyar filed a case against him on July 9, 2018, before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court in Chaibasa. Following a directive from the Jharkhand High Court, the defamation case was transferred to the MP-MLA court in Ranchi in February 2020.
The case was sent back to the MP-MLA court in Chaibasa, where the magistrate took cognisance of the matter and issued a summons to the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Despite repeated summons by the court, Gandhi skipped appearances. Initially, a bailable warrant was issued. Then, Gandhi approached the Jharkhand High Court seeking a stay on the warrant. The plea was disposed of on March 20, 2024.
