Chaibasa: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was granted bail on Wednesday by a special MP-MLA court in Chaibasa, Jharkhand, related to a 2018 criminal defamation case concerning remarks made against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Gandhi appeared before Judge Supriya Rani Tigga at around 10:55 a.m. This followed instructions from the Jharkhand High Court, which had previously refused to dismiss the complaint. The court granted him bail after the charges were formally framed.
The case was filed by BJP member Pratap Kumar, who claimed that Gandhi, speaking at a political rally in 2018, called Shah a “murder accused,” despite Shah being acquitted in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case in 2014. The complainant argued that the statement was defamatory and aimed at damaging the reputation of the senior BJP leader.
During the hearing, Gandhi’s lawyer argued that the remarks were part of a political speech and were not aimed at any individual with harmful intent. However, the court went ahead and framed the charges, scheduling the matter for further hearing.
This case adds to a series of defamation lawsuits against the Congress leader. In recent weeks, Gandhi has received bail in similar cases, including one filed in Nashik over his comments about freedom fighter V. D. Savarkar.
With the court now set to start trial proceedings, Gandhi must remain available for future hearings as per the bail conditions. The situation is being closely monitored in light of the larger legal and political challenges facing key opposition figures ahead of the upcoming elections.
