New Delhi: Gujarat’s Surat Sessions Court reserved its verdict after the hearing of former Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s plea to seek a stay on his conviction by the Magistrate court in the criminal defamation case. Judge Robin Mogra presided over the hearing and the court will deliver the order on April 20. Gandhi had moved to Surat’s court challenging the conviction under which he was sentenced to two years.
Gujarat’s Surat Court to pronounce the decision in Rahul Gandhi’s plea in the 2019 defamation case on ‘Modi surname’ remark, on 20th April.
— ANI (@ANI) April 13, 2023
In the court, Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer RS Cheema argued that only an aggrieved person can file a complaint under the defamation law. He also asked the court to analyse Rahul Gandhi’s remarks contextually to know whether there was any intent to defame Modis. Rahul Gandhi’s side also argued that it was just a result of him giving statement against PM Narendra Modi.
There was also an argument over the complainant’s claims of Modi being a caste and Cheema put forth that Gosai is the caste and these people are often referred to as Modis. He also highlighted how the trial court had pronounced his client guilty and imposed the maximum sentence immediately.
Harshit Tolia made submissions for the complainant and said that Rahul Gandhi did not stop at PM Modi but went on to speak about all Modis and that part of the statement hurt his client.
Rahul Gandhi was convicted by a magistrate court on March 23 for his statement alleging “all the thieves have ‘Modi’ as a common surname.” BJP’s Purnesh Modi moved to the court and argued that the Congress leader defamed the Modi community. The two-year sentence also led to Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha and currently, he is out on bail.
