UP court postpones hearing in defamation case against Rahul

A special court in UP’s Sultanpur on Monday postponed the hearing in a defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after members of the local Bar association abstained from work following the death of a senior advocate.

The Bar association declared the day a non-working day out of respect for the deceased member, Kamal Srivastava, leading the court to reschedule the matter for July 1.

The defamation case dates back to 2018 when BJP leader Vijay Mishra filed a complaint alleging that Rahul made objectionable remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a campaign event for the Karnataka Assembly elections.

At the previous hearing on April 28, the complainant's side produced Anil Mishra, a resident of Pitambarpur Kala in Kotwali Dehat, as a witness. Rahul's counsel advocate Kashi Prasad Shukla had initiated the cross-examination.

In December 2023, the court issued a warrant against Rahul. He had surrendered in February 2024 and was granted bail on two sureties of Rs 25,000 each.

On July 26 last year, Rahul had appeared before the court to record his statement, during which he pleaded not guilty and termed the case a politically motivated move against him.