Rahul Gandhi appears before Bhiwandi court in defamation case | India News
Bhiwandi: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi appeared before a court here on Saturday in a criminal defamation case arising out of comments made during the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign.Sources said Gandhi’s personal appearance was largely procedural and necessitated by the recent death of his former surety, Shivraj Patil Chakurkar, who stood surety for his bail.As the previous surety died last month, the new surety has to be formalized before the court.
The case dates back to a public meeting in Sonale village of Bhiwandi taluk during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, where Gandhi alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was responsible for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. After the speech, RSS functionary Rajesh Kunte filed a personal complaint under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, accusing Gandhi of defaming the organization.Advocate Narayan Iyer, representing Gandhi, said the appearance was made mandatory due to the submission of fresh bail. “Gandhi has to be present as a new bail has been granted after the death of his previous bail. The hearing was primarily procedural,” Iyer told TOI.On Gandhi’s behalf, Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal was produced as a new surety in the court. Iyer said that after submitting Sapkal’s bail, Gandhi signed the bond.Iyer added that the matter has reached an advanced stage. “Examination-in-chief and cross-examination of complainant Rajesh Kunt are over. Trial is on,” he said.In the wake of Gandhi’s visit, the Thane police deployed extra personnel on the court premises to manage the crowd and ensure law and order.
