The MP-MLA court in Sultanpur on Thursday once again postponed the hearing in a defamation case filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The hearing was deferred to September 19 as the plaintiff, Vijay Mishra, did not appear in court due to ill health, according to his lawyer.
The court had previously deferred the matter on August 23, setting September 5 as the next hearing date. Before that, on August 12, the hearing could not proceed as the special judge of the court was on leave.
Santosh Kumar Pandey, the lawyer representing the plaintiff Vijay Mishra, stated that an application was filed to present evidence in court, which was accepted. “The MP-MLA court has set the next hearing date for September 19, when the plaintiff will have to present evidence through his lawyer,” Pandey added.
The defamation case stems from alleged objectionable remarks made by Rahul Gandhi against senior BJP leader Amit Shah during the Karnataka elections in 2018. Mishra, a local BJP leader and former cooperative chairman, filed the complaint in August 2018, leading to the case against Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi surrendered to the court on February 20 during the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.’ He was granted bail on two personal bonds of Rs 25,000 each. Despite several court notices, he did not appear to record his statement during the Lok Sabha elections, citing poll engagements. Consequently, the court issued a stern order requiring his presence.
On July 26, Rahul Gandhi appeared in the Sultanpur court and recorded his statement. However, the hearing scheduled for August 12, based on the evidence, was postponed as the judge of the MP-MLA court was on leave.
The court will now hear the case on September 19, provided that the plaintiff is able to present evidence on that date.
