Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday appeared before a magistrate’s court in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, to submit a fresh surety in a 2014 criminal defamation case filed by an RSS activist. The court accepted Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal as his new guarantor following the death of the earlier surety, former Union minister Shivraj Patil Chakurkar.
Gandhi was required to remain present in person as part of the procedural requirement to execute a new bail bond after his previous guarantor passed away in December last year. The formalities, including signing of the fresh bond, were completed within about 30 minutes.
On his way to the court in Thane district, Gandhi faced a black-flag protest by BJP workers. He was accompanied by Sapkal and other senior party leaders at the court premises.
Counsel for Gandhi, advocate Narayan Iyer, told reporters that the procedural process had been completed successfully. He said Gandhi has already been granted permanent exemption from personal appearance for future hearings and that the defence would present its witnesses at the appropriate stage of trial. Iyer also clarified that no examination of Gandhi was scheduled for the day and that cross-examination of the investigating officer would resume after completion of the bail formalities.
The case arises from a complaint filed by RSS activist Rajesh Kunte under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, alleging that Gandhi, during a speech at Sonale village in the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign, stated that the RSS was behind Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. According to the complainant, the remark was defamatory and harmed the organisation’s reputation.
The trial has progressed to the stage where Kunte’s cross-examination and re-examination have already been completed. Further proceedings are expected to continue with the examination of remaining witnesses in accordance with law.
