The defamation hearing against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, which was set for Friday, has been deferred to January 22 following a lawyers’ strike. The session, intended to continue the cross-examination in an MP-MLA special court, was rescheduled by the court’s magistrate, Shubham Verma.
This legal battle stems from a 2018 complaint by Vijay Mishra, a local BJP politician, who accused Gandhi of making derogatory remarks during the Karnataka assembly elections, claiming they caused him deep personal harm. The subsequent legal proceedings have been drawn out over the past five years, culminating in several key developments.
In December 2023, after Gandhi failed to appear in court, a warrant was issued for his attendance. He subsequently surrendered to the court in February 2024 and on July 26, 2024, his statement was recorded. During this session, Gandhi was granted bail with two bonds of Rs 25,000 each and maintained his innocence, suggesting that the charges were politically motivated.
The case has seen multiple delays; the hearing originally scheduled for December 16, 2024, was postponed due to the absence of the presiding judge, and another delay occurred on January 2 as the cross-examination was not completed.
