The defamation case against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was adjourned by a special MP-MLA court on Tuesday after a key witness from the complainant’s side failed to testify. The court has rescheduled the hearing for April 28, as confirmed by the legal representatives involved.
Rahul Gandhi, represented by his lawyer Kashi Prasad Shukla, was expected to confront further testimonies today; however, the absence of the complainant’s witness led to a delay. “The witness was present in court but could not depose due to ill health, leading to the adjournment of today’s scheduled hearing,” Shukla explained. The court previously convened for this case on April 3.
The complainant, local BJP politician Vijay Mishra, initiated the defamation suit against Gandhi in 2018, alleging that Gandhi made derogatory remarks about BJP leader Amit Shah during the Karnataka assembly elections. Since then, the case has seen numerous postponements and legal hurdles.
In a notable development, Gandhi was issued a court warrant in December 2023 and subsequently surrendered to the Rae Bareli court in February 2024. He was granted bail against two sureties of Rs 25,000 each. During his court appearance on July 26, Gandhi vehemently denied the allegations, attributing them to a political vendetta.
The case has witnessed several delays, including strikes by lawyers and the previous ill health of Gandhi’s counsel. The last significant court activity occurred on February 11, when Shukla completed the cross-examination of Mishra.
