The Patna High Court granted relief to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, staying the order of the lower court till May 15, 2023, in the "Modi surname" defamation case.
"A lower court in Patna had asked Gandhi to appear before it on April 12. Rahul Gandhi filed a petition before high court to quash the order," SD Sanjay, advocate appearing for BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi’s counsel, was quoted y ANI as saying.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s counsel Virendra Rathore said: "We had filed a quashing petition. When a matter is already under trial in Surat court, then there cannot be another trial in a different court in the same matter. This is illegal."
The advocate informed that the next hearing is on May 15 and all lower court proceedings have been stayed till then. "The court accepted his plea and gave him relief. Now, he will not have to appear in the lower court in Patna," Gandhi's lawyer said.
Rahul Gandhi's conviction
Gandhi was convicted in the case lodged against him over a "how come all thieves have Modi as the common surname" remark made during an election rally in 2019. On March 23, he was sentenced to two years in jail by a metropolitan magistrate's court in Surat. He, however, was granted bail so that he could file an appeal in the higher court.
Gandhi had then filed an appeal before the sessions court in Surat against the verdict. He also prayed for a stay to the conviction in the meantime.
A Surat sessions court had on April 20 dismissed Rahul Gandhi's application seeking a stay on his conviction in the case. He is now yet to appeal against his conviction in the criminal defamation case.
A political slugfest ensued after Rahul Gandhi's conviction, with the Congress holding nationwide protests. The former Congress chief was disqualified as a Lok Sabha MP and was also asked to vacate his official bungalow in Delhi.
First Published: Apr 24, 2023 2:57 PM IST
Check out our in-depth Market Coverage, Business News & get real-time Stock Market Updates on CNBC-TV18. Also, Watch our channels CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz and CNBC Bajar Live on-the-go!
BJP is planning to ban RSS, says Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray
May 18, 2024 8:01 PM
Punjab Lok Sabha elections: Complete list of Congress candidates
May 18, 2024 4:08 PM
Punjab Lok Sabha elections: Check full list of AAP candidates and constituencies
May 18, 2024 12:59 PM
PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi election rallies in Delhi today: Here are the routes to avoid
May 18, 2024 11:28 AM