Court Rejects Plea to Play Rahul Video

Pune court has refused Satyaki Savarkar’s request to play a YouTube video of Rahul Gandhi’s alleged 2023 defamatory speech concerning freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar. The matter is being heard by the special court designated for cases involving MPs and MLAs.

During the hearing, Satyaki Savarkar, the grand-nephew of V D Savarkar, sought to play the clip as part of his evidence in the defamation case he has filed against the Congress leader. The court, however, declined the request. In a related development, the court also rejected Satyaki Savarkar’s application seeking to play an additional CD which he claimed had been submitted earlier. The judge noted that no such CD was on record and therefore the court could not consider it.

Earlier, during Satyaki Savarkar’s examination-in-chief, the CD submitted as evidence, purported to contain the video of Rahul Gandhi’s alleged speech delivered in London in 2023, could not be viewed as it was found to contain no data. The malfunctioning of the CD prevented the video from being examined in court. 

The case stems from comments allegedly made by Rahul Gandhi during an overseas event, which Satyaki Savarkar claims were defamatory towards his grand-uncle. The proceedings will continue with the court assessing the remaining evidence placed on record.