The Jharkhand high court on Wednesday granted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi exemption from personal appearance before a special Ranchi court which is hearing a defamation case related to “Modi surname” jibe by the MP from Waynad.
In an order on a petition filed by Gandhi challenging the lower court order, bench of justice SK Dwivedi granted relief to the former Congress president, with certain conditions.
“The petition was filed before the honourable high court challenging the order passed by the magistrate. The plea has been allowed and exemption from personal appearance granted. Few conditions have also been laid, including that Rahul Gandhi shall file a fresh affidavit undertaking that he will not dispute his identity and will not raise any objection if witnesses are examined in his absence and in presence of his lawyer,” said Gandhi’s counsel Deepankar Roy.
The court of magistrate Anamika Kisku had, on May 3, rejected Gandhi’s plea for exemption from personal appearance in the matter, which was challenged by the Congress leader in the HC.
The case is related to an ongoing defamation case in Jharkhand capital Ranchi, filed by an advocate, Pradip Modi, against Gandhi for his “all Modis are thieves” comment at an election rally in Ranchi in 2019.
In a similar case, Rahul Gandhi was convicted by a Gujarat court in March this year and subsequently disqualified from the Lok Sabha.
Gandhi had challenged the lower court summon in the HC.
The Jharkhand high court, on July 2, 2022, had rejected his quashing petition. Subsequently, the lower court had issued fresh summons to Rahul Gandhi. A petition was filed by Gandhi’s lawyers seeking exemption from personal appearance in the case. However, the special court on May 3 rejected the petition and issued fresh summons, which was challenged in the HC.
