Rahul gets bail in defamation case over remarks against Savarkar
A special court in Pune on Friday granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case related to his remarks on Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar.
The MP/MLA court granted bail to the LoP in the Lok Sabha on a surety bond of Rs 25,000 after he appeared before it through video conferencing, his lawyer said. Congress leader Mohan Joshi stood as surety for Gandhi before the court presided over by Amol Shinde, judicial magistrate (first class) and special judge for MP/MLA cases. Advocate Milind Pawar, representing Gandhi, said soon after his client appeared before the court, they moved a bail application.
The judge allowed the plea and granted bail on a surety bond of Rs 25,000. The advocate said the court also granted permanent exemption to the Lok Sabha MP from Rae Bareli from appearing before it.
The case was filed on a complaint by VD Savarkar’s grandnephew Satyaki, who alleged Gandhi had made defamatory remarks against the Hindutva icon at a programme he attended in London in March 2023. Earlier, advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, representing Satyaki Savarkar, objected to Gandhi’s application seeking virtual appearance. There was no provision that allows an accused to appear in court through video conferencing before securing bail, Kolhatkar argued.
The court, however, permitted Gandhi to attend the proceedings online. Wearing a bottle green sweater, the Congress MP appeared before the court and stated his name when the judge asked for it.
The matter will be next heard on February 18. As per the complaint, Rahul stated that Savarkar had written in a book that he and five to six of his friends once beat up a Muslim man and he felt happy.
